BEIRUT – Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Saturday rejected the US-brokered framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel, declaring it “null and void” and calling for the implementation of the Iranian-US memorandum of understanding instead.
In his first public remarks since the agreement was signed in Washington following the fifth round of negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv on Friday, Qassem said Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territory in accordance with the Iranian-American understanding.
“This agreement is null and void, and the provisions of the Iranian-American memorandum of understanding must be implemented,” he said in a statement.
Qassem also rejected any proposal linking an Israeli military withdrawal to the disarmament of Hezbollah and other resistance groups across Lebanon, describing it as “a very dangerous proposal” that crossed “all red lines”.
He warned that such a move would leave Lebanon vulnerable and turn the country “into a plaything in the hands of the Israeli enemy”.
His remarks come amid growing debate in Lebanon over the agreement. While some politicians and media outlets have welcomed the deal as a potentially significant step towards stability, others have criticised it as a unilateral concession to Israel.
Lebanon and Israel signed the US-sponsored framework agreement in Washington on Friday after five rounds of negotiations aimed at resolving longstanding disputes between the two sides.
According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli attacks since March 2 have killed more than 4,000 people and wounded over 4,000 others in Lebanon.
