France's military has said the disarmament of Hezbollah in south Lebanon was making "good progress" but that documenting violations was difficult.
The ceasefire brokered by the US and France in November states that Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Lebanese group that also operates as a political party, should lay down its weapons, starting south of the Litani river. The French joined a committee overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.
Documenting violations of the ceasefire has proved "hugely difficult" because of the text's ambiguous wording, French Brig Gen Guillaume Ponchin said in a briefing on Thursday. He declined to say how many had been recorded.
Ambiguities include the geographical scope of Hezbollah's disarmament, which has been interpreted as restricted to south Lebanon by some and extended to the entire country by others. Lebanon has accused Israel of numerous breaches of the ceasefire, including the killing of 22 Lebanese who were returning home last month.
The committee has no power to stop violations by military means. A separate UN mechanism reports violations to the UN Security Council in New York.
"It is very complicated in the end to determine whether it is a violation, or not a violation, or if it is simply the application of the agreement with the understanding of the agreement by one of the parties," said Brig Gen Ponchin, who works with a joint team from France's Defence Ministry and the Foreign Ministry at the embassy in Beirut.
The ceasefire supervision mechanism's priorities are to stop fighting from reigniting and to ensure the return of Lebanese civilians to south Lebanon with the support of the Lebanese army. More than one million people were displaced during the 14-month war in which Hezbollah's leadership was obliterated by Israel.
Zones of influence
The briefing was shown French military colour-coded maps that set out the zones of influence within the territory subject to the ceasefire deal.
"[Hezbollah's withdrawal] is documented with supporting photos, time stamps, geolocations, with films, before and after," he explained, displaying some of the dynamics on the ground.
He also described a complex framework for troubleshooting when the ceasefire is in jeopardy. "Should Lebanon complain about movement of Israeli troops in south Lebanon, French and US representatives within the mechanisms would ask Israeli to retreat," Brig Gen Ponchin said.
Meanwhile, if Israel detects Hezbollah military movements, it can tell the supervision committee, which will in turn ask the Lebanese army to take action.
The diagram shown by Brig Gen Ponchin detailing communications mechanisms within the committee showed that the US, Lebanon and Israel reported to each other. France reported only to the US and vice versa. "We act like a notary. We do not decide whether a complaint is true or not."
More than 4,000 Lebanese and 130 Israelis died during the war, which started after Hezbollah intensified shelling against Israel following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks.
Israel had at first agreed to withdraw its soldiers from south Lebanon by January 26, but then extended the deadline to February 18. Much to Lebanese dismay, it has since said it would remain indefinitely at five key points, citing security concerns.
"What is the level of disarmament of Hezbollah in the south? It has progressed well. I cannot give you a percentage, but it has progressed well," Brig Gen Ponchin said.
Peaceful enforcers
Brig Gen Ponchin expressed frustration about what he described as the ceasefire agreement's "wrong interpretation" in public discourse. There is no relation between the Israeli army's withdrawal dates and the ceasefire's duration, which is open-ended. "The ceasefire agreement is permanent until someone denounces it," he said. "The dates that keep circulating disturb our thinking."
It has been estimated that 10,000 Lebanese soldiers would be needed to be deployed in south Lebanon following Hezbollah's withdrawal. The army has hired more than 1,500 soldiers but up to 4,000 men are still needed, Brig Gen Ponchin said. He described the army's deployment so far as "robust". "It's willingness to carry out its share of the work is notable and this has been recognised by everyone, including the Israelis," he said.
Sensitive moments
There is no shared operations room, Brig Gen Ponchin said, and the US team on the committee is based at its embassy in Beirut. Lebanon and Israel have technically been in a state of war since the Arab-Israeli war of 1948. It is illegal for Lebanese citizens to communicate with Israelis.
"We speak to the Israelis," Brig Gen Ponchin said. "I have an Israeli contact point within the mechanism that I can speak to on the phone. I'm able to ask him questions or share my disapproval or encouragement. But I won't be betraying a state secret if I say that the US have a privileged connection with the Israelis."
This month, France suggested Israel withdraw from Lebanon and be replaced by Unifil peacekeepers, including from the French contingent. This proposal has so far not been accepted by Israel.
The biggest challenge lies with the cash-strapped Lebanese army, Brig Gen Ponchin said. Hopes are high among the Lebanese population for the army to help in their return home to south Lebanon but security conditions remain poor. "The army has to work gradually to maintain the population's trust," he said. "It's a major challenge."
