Beirut: Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, on Saturday, rejected the framework agreement between the Lebanese government and Israel, calling it "null and void" and accusing state authorities of surrendering Lebanon's sovereignty to Israel and the United States.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Qassem stated that the agreement amounted to an act of capitulation because it linked an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah. He argued that this effectively legitimizes Israel's continued military presence and grants it influence over Lebanon's internal affairs.
Qassem articulated his concerns in a statement, emphasizing that linking the Israeli withdrawal to the disarmament of the resistance across Lebanon proposes a dangerous precedent. He accused the Lebanese government of diminishing the country's leverage by engaging in direct negotiations with Israel, labeling such actions as unconstitutional and against Lebanon's national interest.
He further criticized the authorities for undermining the "resistance" and relinquishing the military and political pressure that had previously forced Israel to halt hostilities. Qassem reiterated that direct negotiations are tantamount to gratuitous concessions to Israel, designed to enforce submission to the demands of aggression from Israel and the United States.
Highlighting an Iranian-US memorandum of understanding that had already secured a ceasefire and guaranteed Lebanon's territorial integrity, Qassem argued that the government had discarded these "sources of strength" by signing the framework agreement. He affirmed Hezbollah's non-recognition of the agreement and vowed to continue political and diplomatic efforts to secure Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon.
Qassem urged Lebanese authorities to reverse course and instead focus on restoring Lebanon's sovereignty, securing the release of detainees, enabling displaced residents to return home, rebuilding damaged areas, and agreeing on a national security strategy. He underscored that the ceasefire was achieved through the "great sacrifices" of fighters, their families, and the Lebanese people, and pledged to preserve the "trust of the martyrs, the wounded, and the prisoners."
The Secretary-General concluded by reiterating that the "resistance" will persist in the field to "defeat the occupation," emphasizing Hezbollah's commitment to the battlefield even under challenging circumstances, describing it as "the path of salvation and good."