Senior Lebanese insists US-brokered deal with Israel 'won't be implemented,' warns of divisions

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key ally of Hezbollah, has strongly condemned a US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel, warning that it could lead to internal strife and asserting that the deal will not be implemented.

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The agreement "won't be implemented."

In comments to Lebanon's al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri characterized the agreement as "dictates." He argued that Iran-US negotiations represent the sole realistic opportunity for securing Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Berri cautioned that any attempt to separate Lebanon from the US-Iran diplomatic track would only prolong the Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon.

The agreement, signed by Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington on Friday, outlines a process where the Lebanese military would assume control of territory in "pilot zones" contingent upon the verified disarmament of non-state groups, a clear reference to Hezbollah. This provision is intended to enable the progressive redeployment of Israeli forces.

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The most dangerous aspect of the agreement was not only its political content, but "the potential for it to incite internal divisions and draw the Lebanese into a confrontation among themselves."

However, Hezbollah has vehemently rejected the deal, deeming it a surrender to Israel and demanding that Beirut cease direct talks with the Israeli government. Berri echoed these sentiments, highlighting the "potential for it to incite internal divisions and draw the Lebanese into a confrontation among themselves" as the agreement's most dangerous aspect. The Lebanese administration, led by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, had initially called for direct talks with Israel, despite strong objections from Hezbollah.

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Hezbollah, which has demanded Beirut quit its face-to-face talks with the Israeli government, has rejected the deal as a surrender to Israel.