Israel, Hezbollah differ on Lebanon deal

BEIRUT/JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday declared his country's agreement with Lebanon "a blow to Iran and Hezbollah", while the militant group's leader Naim Qassem declared it void.

The agreement, which was signed in Washington on Friday after five rounds of talks and aims to pave the way to peace between the neighbors, includes plans to disarm Hezbollah.

Qassem called the agreement "humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty" and warned that 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," he said, referring to the deal between the two powers to end the broader Middle East war, which includes a ceasefire in Lebanon.

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 of homes and other buildings.

While Qassem attacked the deal, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted that the country's troops would be able to stay in Lebanon so long as Hezbollah remained armed.

He said he had instructed Israeli 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 organization Hezbollah is not disarmed throughout Lebanon".

Netanyahu reiterated that point in a televised briefing, saying 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".

Internal dissent

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.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US President Donald Trump in a phone call Saturday that the Lebanese state will assume responsibility for implementing the agreement.

According to a statement, Aoun said he hoped "the United States would help prevent any violations of the deal and ensure that all commitments are fulfilled, notably by pressuring Israel to withdraw from the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon to facilitate the deployment of the Lebanese army up to the international border".

According to the Lebanese presidency, Trump reaffirmed Washington's support for Lebanon and its people, pledging to work toward implementing the deal and restoring security and stability in the country.

The agreement comes as tensions persist between the United States and Iran despite their memorandum of understanding to end the broader Middle East war.

On Saturday, Iran accused the United States of violating the deal after US strikes on Iranian territory, while Washington said its latest strikes were a response to attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Israel also carried out strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, with Lebanon's health ministry reporting at least one person killed and two wounded.

AGENCIES-XINHUA