Lebanese Army Struggles to Enforce Agreement as Hezbollah Maintains Influence Through Medical and Aid Groups
The Lebanese Army is facing difficulties in meeting the security requirements of the framework agreement signed with Israel in June under U.S. auspices, as Hezbollah continues to maintain its foothold in southern Lebanon through medical, aid, and rehabilitation organizations. A study by the Amith Institute for Terror and Intelligence Research, published on Friday by Kan News, highlights that these organizations not only provide services to local residents but also help preserve Hezbollah's infrastructure and influence in villages.
The agreement aimed to regulate the withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces and transfer responsibility to Lebanese authorities, designating pilot areas where the Lebanese Army was supposed to dismantle Hezbollah's infrastructure and prevent its operatives from returning. However, about two months after the signing, doubts have emerged regarding the Lebanese Army's ability to fulfill this mission, particularly in the pilot village of Zotar al-Arabiya.
Reports cited in the study indicate that Hezbollah operatives, including members of "Rawbat," who coordinate military activities and embed the group's infrastructure within civilian areas, have been allowed to return to the village. Army checkpoints reportedly did not conduct vehicle searches or verify identities. The Islamic Health Organization, affiliated with Hezbollah's executive council, operates clinics and ambulances in the village and is considered part of the support network for Hezbollah's military activities. Ambulances from this organization enter the village, while those from the Red Cross and other groups are denied access.
Additionally, the "Wata'ano" association provides food, housing, damage assessments, and erects temporary structures. Its leader, Afif Shuman, has denied Hezbollah affiliation, but the study points to his statements about Iranian funding and Hezbollah guidance, as well as fundraising through Hezbollah's financial institution, Al-Qard Al-Hassan. Hezbollah media coverage portrays these organizations as rehabilitating villages and caring for residents, thereby maintaining the population's dependence on Hezbollah and strengthening its influence.
The Amith Institute concludes that such activities contradict the agreement. Legal restrictions on searching private properties further hinder the detection of military infrastructure. The real test is not merely deploying Lebanese soldiers in villages but the state's actual control over these areas. While civilian aid alone does not prove military activity, as long as Hezbollah preserves infrastructure and local operatives and remains the primary provider of essential services, transferring official responsibility to the Lebanese Army does not guarantee the group has lost its grip. The full study will be published soon by the Amith Institute.
