ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The Lebanese Army said Thursday it has completed the first phase of a plan to disarm Hezbollah and confine weapons to state control south of the Litani River, with Israel complaining that Beirut's efforts remain "insufficient."

In a statement, the army said it achieved the goals of the first phase in a strip of land extending about 30 kilometers to the border with Israel. It said operations will continue to clear unexploded ordnance and tunnels to prevent armed groups from rebuilding their capabilities.

The army added that it has "established operational control south of the Litani, except for areas still under Israeli occupation," and criticized Israel’s continued attacks and creation of buffer zones, saying they undermine efforts to extend state authority.

President Joseph Aoun voiced support for the army, saying its deployment south of the Litani rests on a broad national consensus. He said an end to Israeli attacks and the release of detainees would allow the state to fully carry out its duties.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri also backed the army, saying its achievements would have been nearly complete if not for Israel’s continued occupation of several points in the south, daily violations, and obstacles placed in the army’s path. He noted the army has not yet received promised military assistance from abroad.

Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Naim Qassem, rejected calls to disarm the group, saying doing so would weaken Lebanon against Israeli threats. He called for Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory.

Israel questioned the Lebanese Army’s account. The office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Lebanon’s steps are “an encouraging start but insufficient,” adding that Hezbollah remains armed and is trying to strengthen its capabilities. The statement said the US-brokered ceasefire requires Hezbollah’s full disarmament.

Israel’s Channel 12 quoted Israeli military sources as saying Hezbollah fighters, weapons, and infrastructure are still present south of the Litani and that Lebanese Army statements do not reflect reality.

The newspaper Israel Hayom cited an Israeli political source rejecting claims that Hezbollah had been disarmed there, while the website Walla quoted Israeli security officials saying a large-scale operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon is only a matter of time.

Late Wednesday, Israel’s public broadcaster reported that Netanyahu told ministers that US President Donald Trump had given Israel a “green light” to attack Lebanon because Hezbollah has refused to hand over its weapons.

The announced completion of the first phase comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Lebanon for an official visit, with Tehran long having been Hezbollah's primary source of material support.

Araghchi's visit to Lebanon itself holds polticial implications, with Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji in December rejecting an invitation to Tehran and instead expressing a desire to meet his Iranian counterpart "to meet in a neutral third country that we both agree on," coming amid Iran's condemnation of the disarmament plans.