US-Brokered Israel-Lebanon Framework Signed as Netanyahu Vows to Maintain Occupation
The agreement was signed in Washington, but Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to maintain the occupation as Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem reaffirmed that Israel must fully withdraw.
United States, PUREWILAYAH.COM – Lebanon and “Israel” signed a US-brokered framework agreement in Washington on Friday in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described it as the first step toward future negotiations between the two sides.
Rubio said the agreement establishes a legal framework for talks and acknowledged that the process is only beginning.
“This is the beginning of the beginning,” he said. “There is still a long road ahead.”
Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington described the agreement as the first step toward restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty, while Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said the framework leaves “Iran out, Hezbollah out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon in.”
Netanyahu: Israeli Forces Will Remain
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the agreement but ruled out any immediate withdrawal from occupied southern Lebanon.
“We will not allow residents to return to southern Lebanon,” Netanyahu said.
He added that Israeli forces would remain inside the occupied security belt until Hezbollah is disarmed.
“The most important point is that we will remain in the security zone,” he said.
Netanyahu also stated that neither Hezbollah nor Lebanese civilians would be allowed to enter the buffer zone maintained by Israeli forces.
Sheikh Naim Qassem Rejects Continued Occupation
Responding the same day, Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, reiterated that “Israel” has no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of Lebanese territory.
He rejected any arrangement that permits an Israeli military presence in Lebanon, saying no agreement can compromise Lebanon’s sovereignty or legitimize occupation.
Sheikh Naim Qassem also rejected normalization with “Israel” and stressed that no Lebanese authority has the right to relinquish the country’s sovereign rights.
“We are ready, and we extend our hand. Seize the opportunity. The Resistance is strong, and we stand with you if you proceed along the path of Lebanon’s sovereignty,” he said.
He added that once Israeli forces fully withdraw, Lebanon can begin discussing a comprehensive national security strategy based on full sovereignty and independence. (PW)