Netanyahu hails Lebanon deal as Hezbollah rejects agreement
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the agreement with Lebanon as a blow to Iran and Hezbollah, while Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem declared the deal void and humiliating.
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared his country's agreement with Lebanon "a blow to Iran and Hezbollah." The agreement, signed in Washington on Friday after five rounds of talks, aims to pave the way to peace and includes plans to disarm Hezbollah. However, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem called the agreement "humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty," warning it could lead to the Israeli annexation of southern Lebanon.
"This agreement is null and void, and the provisions of the Iranian-American memorandum of understanding must be implemented," Qassem said, referring to the broader Middle East war-ending deal that includes a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz insisted that Israeli troops would be able to stay in Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remained armed. He said he had instructed troops "to prepare for an extended stay" in southern Lebanon and that "there will be no redeployment by Israel in southern Lebanon, no withdrawal, as long as the terrorist organisation Hezbollah is not disarmed throughout Lebanon."
Netanyahu reiterated that both the US and Lebanon "have recognized Israel's right to maintain a security zone inside Lebanon for as long as it remains necessary to safeguard our security."
The deal has drawn criticism from within Israel, with far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir denouncing it and saying only Israeli forces were capable of disarming Hezbollah.
Lebanon was drawn into the regional war on March 2 when Tehran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and an invasion of southern Lebanon, where its troops occupy swathes of territory and have been carrying out extensive demolitions.
Iran insists any deal to end the broader war must include Lebanon. Katz said Israel would use "great force" against Iran if it "tries to attack Israel to prevent the implementation of the agreement" with Lebanon.
The agreement text states that Lebanon's military is to "restore effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups."
Hezbollah supporters protested in Beirut on Friday night. Ahmad Shamas, 48, told AFP that the deal was "humiliating and shameful."
