Israeli defense officials are increasingly concerned that Hezbollah will refuse to surrender its weapons and could ultimately derail the emerging agreement between Israel and Lebanon, according to a report by Walla.

A senior Israeli security official said the Lebanese Army is deeply concerned about the possibility of a civil war and is therefore reluctant to confront Hezbollah directly. Instead, officials in Beirut are hoping that “the diplomatic process and the IDF will do the job.” Meanwhile, the IDF continues strengthening defenses along the Israel-Lebanon border, reinforcing positions near the Litani River, and destroying Hezbollah weapons and terror infrastructure in areas under Israeli operational control.

According to the report, a U.S. delegation visited Israel last week to discuss implementation of the framework before traveling to Beirut. A key meeting between the sides is expected to take place in Rome on July 17 to resolve remaining tactical issues, followed by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s planned visit to Washington on July 20. Israeli officials currently expect implementation of the memorandum of understanding to begin in approximately three weeks.

Despite the diplomatic progress, Israeli officials remain skeptical that the Lebanese Army is willing or able to disarm Hezbollah. The IDF is also preparing contingency plans for the possibility that Hezbollah could violate the ceasefire and resume attacks once implementation of the agreement begins.

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