Lebanese army commander Rodolphe Haykal addressed his soldiers on Thursday, asserting that the Israeli military is intentionally hindering the Lebanese Armed Forces' ability to establish a presence in southern Lebanon. According to Haykal, the Lebanese military is fully prepared to deploy to any territory from which Israeli forces withdraw, but he claims that current Israeli actions are creating a barrier to this transition.

Haykal characterized the ongoing situation as a series of "attacks and repeated violations" that serve to obstruct the army's operational goals. He emphasized that the Lebanese military's mandate is to secure these southern areas, but suggested that the presence and actions of the Israeli military are preventing the completion of this deployment. The report from Middle East Eye frames these comments as a direct challenge to the current security status quo in the region, highlighting a significant point of friction between the two militaries. While the Lebanese commander has publicly stated his force's readiness, the report does not include a response or counter-statement from Israeli officials regarding these specific allegations of obstruction. Consequently, the narrative currently rests on the claims made by the Lebanese military leadership regarding the challenges they face in the southern sector.