Hezbollah Supporters Riot in Beirut After Israel-Lebanon Framework Deal

Supporters of Hezbollah were filmed rioting in Beirut overnight between Friday and Saturday, shortly after the official announcement of a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon. They waved the terrorist group’s flags, damaged property, and clashed with Lebanese security forces.

According to reports from Lebanon, Hezbollah supporters on motorbikes rode toward Beirut’s airport while displaying the group’s flags. Lebanese army forces used tear gas against rioters on the road near the airport, and dozens of soldiers were deployed to disperse the crowd. Videos from the unrest also showed cars and motorcycles being set on fire.

The framework agreement was announced Thursday night at the White House after four days of negotiations in Washington. Israeli sources said there is no clear timetable for the deal, which sets up two pilot areas from which the IDF will withdraw and be replaced by the Lebanese army, one north of the Litani River and one south of it. The framework also includes mutual recognition of the two countries’ sovereignty, while the IDF will not withdraw from the Yellow Line.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the talks and announced the agreement alongside the two countries’ ambassadors in Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad of Lebanon and Yechiel Leiter of Israel. Rubio said, “There is still much work ahead of us,” adding that what Lebanon deserves is “a prosperous and peaceful state, a diverse state where people from different backgrounds can live together in coexistence.” He said it would take “a lot of work and time” to get back to that point, but called the deal “the first step on that journey.”