Hezbollah Rejects US-Brokered Security Deal With Israel, Calls It Surrender
Hezbollah's Response to the US-Brokered Security Agreement
By Jana Choukeir, Eman Abouhassira and Pesha Magid
Rejection of the Security Deal
June 27 (Reuters) - Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected a U.S.-brokered security agreement between Lebanon and Israel on Saturday a day after it was signed, describing it as a surrender to Israel.
Continued Hostilities Despite Agreements
In the latest example of ongoing hostilities despite repeated ceasefires and agreements, Israel launched a drone strike in Lebanon's south.
Impact on Lebanon and Regional Dynamics
Displacement and the Iran War Context
More than a million Lebanese have been driven from their homes by a conflict that has run in parallel with the wider Iran war. Hezbollah and Iran say Washington pledged to end hostilities in Lebanon as part of its memorandum of understanding signed two weeks ago to end the wider war.
Details of the Security Framework
The framework agreed on Friday provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from some parts of southern Lebanon, alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army. But Israeli forces would be permitted to remain in an expanded security zone for the time being, pending further implementation.
Hezbollah's Criticism and Continued Resistance
Hezbollah's Statement and Accusations
In a statement, Qassem called it "null and void", and accused the Lebanese government of making unilateral concessions and undermining Lebanon's sovereignty.
Objections to Disarmament Provisions
He criticised provisions linking Israel's withdrawal to Hezbollah's disarmament, saying they effectively legitimised Israel's military presence and crossed "all red lines".
Commitment to Armed Resistance
The group would continue its armed resistance, he added: "We did not leave the battlefield in the most difficult circumstances, and we will not leave it."
Recent Military Actions and International Reactions
Israeli Drone Strike in Lebanon
Lebanon's state news agency said an Israeli drone struck Nabatieh al-Fawqa on Saturday. The area is outside the security zone shown on a map published by Israel of the territory its troops will continue to control.
Israeli Military's Statement
The Israeli military told Reuters it had carried out the strike, using a drone because it had no troops in the immediate area. It said it targeted an individual who posed a threat to its forces, without giving further details or evidence.
Alternative Proposals for Ending the Conflict
Iran-U.S. Memorandum as a Basis
Qassem said the Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding reached earlier this month, which guarantees Lebanon's territorial integrity, should serve as the basis for ending the conflict, rather than Friday's Washington agreement.
(Reporting by Jana Choukeir, Eman Abouhassira in Dubai and Pesha Magid in Jerusalem; Editing by Peter Graff)
