Lebanese Parliament Speaker Opposes Israel-Lebanon Framework Agreement Amid Political Tensions

Nabih Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, publicly opposed the recently signed framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel on Sunday. Despite his strong political rejection, Berri called for calm among the Lebanese public. Sources from Lebanon's Shiite factions Hezbollah and Amal told the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that Berri was surprised by the agreement's content and had not been briefed on it beforehand. He reportedly first learned about the deal through media reports rather than official channels. When asked if he reviewed the agreement, Berri described it as "incitement to division." The sources urged the signatories to avoid the agreement's negative consequences and to correct what they called a "serious mistake." They also claimed that one of Israel's objectives with the agreement was to destabilize the American-Iranian deal by igniting tensions in Lebanon.

The framework agreement was signed last Friday after prolonged negotiations involving the United States, Israel, and Lebanon. The tripartite deal aims to pave the way for future agreements to resolve the longstanding conflict between Israel and Lebanon and establish peace. At the signing ceremony, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the milestone, calling it "the hardest but most important first step," and expressed hope for continued talks and tangible progress. He acknowledged that much work remains ahead.

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, addressed questions about Israel's potential withdrawal from Lebanon, stating there is no fundamental agreement on this issue. He emphasized Israel's security concerns and said Israel will maintain its presence in Lebanon as long as necessary to ensure security. Leiter noted that while the U.S. and Lebanon prefer the Lebanese army to control the entire country, Israel will not repeat past mistakes where Hezbollah was allegedly disarmed but remained armed in reality. He stressed that Israel requires U.S. assurance that whenever the Lebanese army deploys, Hezbollah is truly disarmed. Leiter concluded that Israel can only withdraw once terrorism in Lebanon is completely neutralized.