Lebanon Signs Agreement with Israel to Combat Hezbollah Amid Rising Shiite Protests

Lebanon and Israel recently signed an agreement aimed at a joint effort to counter Hezbollah, marking a significant shift in regional dynamics. The deal, announced last Friday, assigns Lebanon full responsibility for managing its affairs and stipulates that the Israeli Defense Forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon only after Hezbollah is disarmed. This agreement challenges Hezbollah's longstanding influence and Iranian backing in Lebanon.

Hezbollah reacted with strong opposition, with its members boasting about Iranian assurances that Israel would be pressured by the US to retreat from southern Lebanon. However, the new agreement alters this narrative by emphasizing Lebanese sovereignty without Iranian patronage. Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah member of parliament, condemned the Lebanese leadership in a televised interview, accusing them of cowardice and warning against accepting the terms.

The internal conflict escalated over the weekend when clashes erupted between Lebanese army soldiers and Hezbollah supporters protesting the agreement. Hezbollah organized a large demonstration on Ashura, a sacred Shiite day, marching from the grave of Hassan Nasrallah to Beirut's airport road, a symbolic site of power struggles. Protesters burned signs reading "Lebanon First," which had replaced previous pro-Iranian banners under orders from Lebanon's interior minister.

Despite the unrest among Shiite communities, some Lebanese political figures, including Sunni billionaire Fouad Makhzoumi, publicly supported the agreement, emphasizing national interests over sectarian divisions. The ongoing tensions highlight Lebanon's fragile political landscape and the complex battle over the country's future direction, with the government seemingly attempting to assert greater control for the first time in years.