Hezbollah Secretary General Sheikh Naim Qassem rejected the framework agreement between Lebanese authorities and the Israeli occupation entity, affirming that the government is undermining sovereignty and relinquishing key bargaining leverage in negotiations over the country’s future.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Sheikh Qassem questioned the Lebanese state’s responsibility toward its citizens and national sovereignty, arguing that earlier diplomatic efforts failed to secure a ceasefire without external intervention and claiming that Beirut had previously rejected proposals emerging from US–Iran contacts in April 2026. His Eminence said this contributed to extensive airstrikes across Lebanon that caused mass casualties and destruction.
His Eminence stated that Hezbollah had warned that direct negotiations with Israel amounted to “free concessions,” describing such talks as imposed meetings designed to enforce Israeli and US demands. He said that the Lebanese authorities are engaging in the process despite domestic political divisions and in violation of constitutional provisions that treat “Israel” as an enemy entity.
“The Lebanese state abandoned the leverage of resistance, leaving it without bargaining power, and the government’s March 2 decision constituted a backstab against Hezbollah in wartime.”
Addressing regional diplomacy, Sheikh Qassem referenced a US–Iran memorandum of understanding, saying it established an immediate cessation of hostilities as a core provision.
“Iran suspended implementation when the Israeli enemy refused compliance and said that international pressure eventually led to a ceasefire. He cited provisions of the document as guaranteeing Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty and argued that a final settlement was to be reached within 60 days.
“Lebanese authorities initially rejected this framework before being persuaded political actors aligned with it.”
Sheikh Qassem criticized the “framework agreement” that replaced stronger guarantees with phased arrangements allegedly overseen by the Israeli enemy. He said such a system effectively allows Israeli monitoring of Lebanese military deployment and disarmament steps, warning that transitional arrangements could be prolonged and made conditional on Israeli approval. His Eminence also cited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying Israeli occupation forces would remain in a security zone until Hezbollah was disarmed and displaced populations were prevented from returning.
He argued that the arrangement risks legitimizing a prolonged occupation and potentially opening the door to annexation, calling it a deprivation of Lebanese citizens’ right to return to their land. He rejected any linkage between Israeli withdrawal and internal Lebanese disarmament discussions, calling it a “dangerous” formulation that would exceed all red lines and render Lebanon vulnerable to external pressure.
Sheikh Qassem also warned that tying withdrawal to disarmament would effectively allow any armed presence in Lebanon to be used as a pretext to delay Israeli withdrawal, insisting that resistance arms would not be surrendered and framing the issue as a matter of national defense against occupation.
His Eminence concluded by describing the Washington framework as a “humiliation and abandonment of sovereignty,” declaring it void and insisting that provisions of the US–Iran memorandum should instead be implemented, beginning with Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. He said Hezbollah would continue to pursue the matter through all available means, including political and regional pressure, to ensure compliance.
Sheikh Qassem also called on Lebanese authorities to reverse “grave mistakes,” stating that Hezbollah was ready to cooperate on what he outlined as national objectives, including sovereignty, territorial liberation, prisoner returns, reconstruction, and the development of a national security strategy.
“The 2024 ceasefire would not have been achieved without the sacrifices of fighters and the Lebanese population, pledging to preserve the “trust” of the dead, wounded, and prisoners. Hezbollah would continue its activities as a resistance movement as it would remain engaged in the field until the end of the occupation,” Sheikh Qassem concluded.
Source: Al-Manar Website