Lebanon-Israel agreement has been rejected by Hezbollah, with the group claiming that the US-brokered framework threatens Lebanon’s sovereignty and could pave the way for the annexation of Lebanese territory by Israel.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem said the agreement attempts to provide legal cover for what he described as Israel’s occupation of Lebanese land. He warned that linking the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon to the disarmament of resistance groups was a dangerous condition that undermines the country’s independence.
Qassem also argued that the recently signed Iran-US memorandum of understanding had made the new trilateral framework irrelevant. He said any future arrangements should follow the principles of the Iran-US agreement rather than the newly announced Lebanon-Israel framework.
The Hezbollah leader reaffirmed that the group would continue its resistance until Israeli forces completely withdraw from Lebanese territory. He added that Hezbollah had not abandoned the battlefield during difficult times and would not do so now.
The Lebanon-Israel agreement, signed in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, allows Israeli forces to remain in parts of Lebanon until security concerns are addressed. It also includes provisions aimed at disarming Hezbollah and dismantling its infrastructure. Following the announcement, protests erupted in Beirut and several other Lebanese cities, where demonstrators burned tyres and chanted slogans against the government.