Hezbollah on Saturday rejected the newly signed U.S.-brokered framework agreement involving Israel and Lebanondeclaring the accord “null and void” and describing it as a surrender that undermines Lebanese sovereignty.
Key Takeaways
- Hezbollah rejected the U.S.-brokered Israel-Lebanon frameworkcalling it “null and void.”
- Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem described the agreement as a “surrender” that undermines Lebanese sovereignty.
- The framework provides for a phased Israeli withdrawaldeployment of the Lebanese Armed Forcesand a process to disarm non-state armed groups.
- Hezbollah was not involved in the negotiations and reaffirmed its opposition to disarmament under the deal.
- An Israeli drone strike was reported in southern Lebanon on Saturday despite the newly signed agreement.
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem said the agreement signed in Washington was a “grave blunder” and accused the Lebanese government of accepting a framework that serves Israeli interests. He called on the government to withdraw from the agreement and instead implement the provisions of the earlier Iranian-American memorandum of understandingwhich he said should remain the basis for ending hostilities in Lebanon.
The framework agreement was signed on June 26 following several rounds of U.S.-mediated negotiations involving Israel and Lebanon. The agreement outlines a phased Israeli withdrawal from parts of southern Lebanon, the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in designated areas, and a process aimed at the disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah. Israeli forces would remain in an expanded security zone until agreed security conditions are met.
Rejecting the accord, Qassem said Hezbollah does not recognize the framework and considers it incompatible with Lebanon’s sovereignty. He argued that the agreement effectively legitimizes Israel’s continued military presence in southern Lebanon while linking Israel’s withdrawal to Hezbollah’s disarmament.
Despite the diplomatic breakthrough announced in Washington, violence continued on Saturday. According to Reuters, an Israeli drone strike targeted an area in southern Lebanon outside the proposed security zone. The Israeli military said the strike targeted an individual who posed a threat, although additional operational details were not immediately released.
The framework was announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubiowho described it as the first step toward achieving lasting peace and security between Israel and Lebanon. The agreement also provides for the establishment of a Military Coordination Group and includes U.S. humanitarian assistance to support implementation.
Hezbollah was not a participant in the negotiations that produced the agreement. The group reiterated that it remains committed to what it calls armed resistance and opposed any effort to disarm its forces under the framework.
The rejection highlights the challenges facing implementation of the agreement as regional tensions remain high despite ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilize the Israel-Lebanon border.
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