Hezbollah Active in Pilot Areas Before IDF Withdrawal

Kan News reported Wednesday evening that Hezbollah operatives working under civilian cover have been identified in Froun, Srifa and Zotar al-Gharbiya. The three southern Lebanese villages are pilot areas under the framework agreement that Israel and Lebanon reached with US mediation. Under that agreement, the IDF is expected to pull out of the pilot areas and transfer control to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

This puts Hezbollah activity in the same villages the IDF is set to vacate before Lebanese troops take over.

The report said the activity is limited in scale so far. It said the group is relying on local operatives to collect intelligence and assess damage in the villages. They are working below the radar and exploiting the Lebanese army's reluctance to confront the group.

In a separate development, The Jerusalem Post reported Wednesday that Hezbollah received $200 million in cash from Iran last month. Iran says the money is meant to help Lebanese displaced by the war. Two people with direct knowledge of the transfer said it is the first significant aid the group has given its supporters. Shiites make up most of the displaced. The cash reached Hezbollah even as US economic pressure on Iran has tightened and moving funds to the group has become harder.

In September, as JFeed reported, the Lebanese army accused Israel of breaching the US-brokered ceasefire at least 7,700 times since the deal took effect.