Lebanon: A Hezbollah ally rejects the agreement with Israel and warns of the risk of internal divisions

The Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, Nabih Berri, on Monday strongly criticized the framework agreement brokered by the United States between Lebanon and Israel. A key ally of Hezbollah, he asserted that the agreement would not be implemented and warned that it could cause deep divisions within Lebanese society.

According to Nabih Berri, the ongoing negotiations between the United States and Iran represent the only realistic path to achieving a withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. He asserted that any attempt to separate the Lebanese issue from the US-Iranian talks would, on the contrary, risk prolonging the Israeli military presence on Lebanese territory.

The agreement, brokered under US mediation, notably provides for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the deployment of the Lebanese army to regain control of the affected areas. However, no concrete implementation had yet been announced as of Monday, despite statements from Israeli officials suggesting that the process could move forward in the coming days.

The situation on the ground remains particularly tense. According to the official Lebanese news agency, Israeli artillery shelled an area near Lebanon's southern border on Monday. Reuters journalists also reported hearing a drone flying over Beirut.

Israel currently occupies a large part of southern Lebanon as part of its conflict with Hezbollah. This war began on March 2, when the Lebanese Shiite movement launched attacks against Israel following the US-Israeli offensive against Iran.

Nabih Berri's statements illustrate the deep divisions surrounding the draft agreement. While Washington seeks to promote de-escalation between Israel and Lebanon, a segment of the Lebanese political class believes that any lasting solution will depend primarily on the progress of negotiations between Tehran and the United States.