BEIRUT — Lebanon’s army has expanded its presence in the south of the country, dismantling hundreds of Hezbollah military installations and confiscating weapons in accordance with a ceasefire that ended a 13-month war with Israel last November, as the government works to establish a monopoly on arms across the country, Lebanese officials revealed on Thursday.

What happened: The Lebanese military has dismantled more than 500 military sites belonging to Hezbollah and other groups in southern Lebanon since the ceasefire entered into force on Nov. 27, 2024, a diplomat familiar with the matter told The Washington Post on Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

A five-member committee, led by Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers and including representatives from France, Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL, is overseeing the implementation of the ceasefire. According to the diplomat, the committee is assisting the army in locating arms depots and missile launchers by sharing coordinates received from Israel and UN peacekeeping forces.

The Lebanese military has deployed an additional 1,500 troops to the south near the border with Israel since the ceasefire began, raising the total number of soldiers in the area to 6,000, according to military officials cited by The Washington Post. They added that 4,000 more troops are currently being recruited for deployment in the south.