Hezbollah collaborators within Lebanon army raise concerns in Israel

Dozens of officers and commanders in the Lebanese army leaked information to Hezbollah during the ceasefire, according to a report in the UK paper The Times on Monday.

The whistleblowers gave the terror organization warnings of IDF raids and patrols, helping the terrorists smuggle weapons and ammunition and avoid capture.

According to the report, one of the senior officers who leaked is Suhail Bahij Gharb, head of military intelligence in southern Lebanon. Gharb leaked sensitive information from a security control room run in Lebanon by the United States, France, and the UN peacekeeping forces. Israeli security sources told The Times that the Lebanese army is "doing its part" by removing weapons from areas from which the IDF withdrew, but the leaks by Gharb and other officers is allowing Hezbollah forces to remain close to the border with Israel.

It is further claimed that Gharb, a Shiite Muslim, was present at secret meetings on behalf of Wafiq Safa, head of Hezbollah's Liaison and Coordination Unit. The exposure of the leaks raises serious concerns about the ability of the Lebanese army to effectively control the mountainous region in southern Lebanon.

In the meantime, the US announced overnight that the ceasefire with Lebanon would be extended until February 18. Until then, the IDF will remain deployed in several areas in southern Lebanon, beyond the 60 days that were determined in the original ceasefire agreement at the end of November. "The agreement has not yet been fully enforced by the state of Lebanon," the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.