Israel-Lebanon MOU Under Strain as Report Finds Hezbollah Disarmament Pilot Program Falling Short

August 28, 2026 — Two months after Israel and Lebanon signed their US-brokered June memorandum of understanding, a report from the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center found the pilot disarmament program in southern Lebanon 'has failed to deliver on the security commitments outlined in the MoU': the Lebanese Army has not demonstrated it can disarm Hezbollah or establish a state monopoly on weapons, Hezbollah-affiliated organizations (the Islamic Health Organization, Wa Ta'awanu) continue to operate openly inside the designated pilot zones, and legal restrictions bar the Lebanese Army from searching private properties used by Hezbollah. Israeli officials, per Walla, have privately warned Washington the pilot program failed and criticized Lebanese Armed Forces Chief of Staff Rudolf Heichal for avoiding confrontation with Hezbollah commanders. The friction compounds Defense Minister Israel Katz's earlier position — 'we will not withdraw from the security zone in Lebanon as long as Hezbollah is not disarmed' — which the US State Department has objected to as inconsistent with the framework's commitments against a permanent Israeli presence; the next round of Rome-hosted verification talks is set for early September.