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🇱🇧 Lebanon /Conflict & Security

Challenges ahead for US-brokered Lebanon-Israel agreement

From Naharnet · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Lebanon and Israel signed a U.S.-sponsored agreement to end hostilities, but its success hinges on Hezbollah and Iran.
  • Israel stated it will not withdraw from occupied territory unless Hezbollah is disarmed, creating a major obstacle to the agreement.
  • Hezbollah has denounced the deal as a "grave blunder" and "legitimizing" Israeli occupation, raising concerns about internal conflict and continued insecurity for residents.

Lebanon and Israel have signed a U.S.-sponsored agreement aimed at ending their hostilities, a historic step taken despite the absence of diplomatic relations between the two nations. However, experts caution that the deal's implementation faces significant challenges, particularly concerning Israeli withdrawal and the role of Hezbollah and its backer, Iran.

as long as Hezbollah has not disarmed

— Benjamin NetanyahuIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's condition for Israeli troop withdrawal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu immediately signaled a potential roadblock, stating that Israeli troops would remain in the self-declared "security zone" along the border as long as Hezbollah remains armed. This stance directly contradicts the agreement's mention of Israeli "redeployment." Imad Salamey, head of Political and International Studies at the Lebanese American University, noted the agreement's lack of guarantees for a full Israeli withdrawal or significant restriction of military operations, potentially leaving southern Lebanon residents facing continued insecurity and delayed reconstruction.

no guarantee that Israel will fully withdraw from occupied areas or significantly restrict its military operations in southern Lebanon

— Imad SalameyImad Salamey, head of the Political and International Studies Department at the Lebanese American University, commenting on the agreement's shortcomings.

Hezbollah has vehemently opposed the agreement since its announcement, branding direct talks with Israel a "sin." Hezbollah lawmaker Naim Qassem called the framework a "grave blunder" that "legitimizes" Israeli occupation, urging the Lebanese government to retract it. Another Hezbollah lawmaker, Hassan Fadlallah, warned that the government could only implement the deal by initiating a "civil war" within Lebanon, with American support.

Without firm Israeli commitments, many residents of the south may continue to face insecurity, delayed reconstruction.

— Imad SalameyImad Salamey, head of the Political and International Studies Department at the Lebanese American University, on the potential impact on southern Lebanon residents.

Protests against the agreement occurred in Beirut, with participants calling it an "agreement of humiliation and shame." Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah, cautioned against internal "strife." The Lebanese Army's assumption of security responsibility in designated "pilot zones" is contingent on external confirmation that non-state armed groups, primarily Hezbollah, are disarmed, adding another layer of complexity to the implementation process.

grave blunder

— Naim QassemHezbollah leader Naim Qassem's description of the framework agreement.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Naharnet in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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