Daijiworld Media Network - Beirut
Beirut, Jun 27: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has described the framework agreement signed between Lebanon, Israel and the United States in Washington as the beginning of a process to restore Lebanon's full sovereignty, while Hezbollah has strongly rejected the deal and vowed to resist its implementation.
In a statement issued by the Lebanese Presidency on Friday (local time), Aoun said the agreement marked the first step towards enabling displaced Lebanese citizens to return to their homes and reaffirmed that Lebanon would not accept any continued occupation of its territory.
The President expressed appreciation to the United States for facilitating and hosting the negotiations and thanked Arab nations and other friendly countries for supporting Lebanon throughout the diplomatic process.
The agreement, however, was swiftly opposed by Hezbollah. Senior Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah declared that the group would confront any attempt to enforce the framework and insisted that it would not surrender its weapons.
According to Lebanese news outlet Elnashra, Fadlallah also referred to Iran's position, saying Tehran had made it clear that it would not support any agreement with Washington until Israeli forces completely withdrew from Lebanese territory.
The framework agreement is intended to address several longstanding disputes between Israel and Lebanon. Israel's state-owned Kan TV News reported that the deal includes a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from two locations in southern Lebanon as part of a pilot initiative.
The report added that both sides had also reached an understanding on addressing Hezbollah's tunnel network in southern Lebanon and measures related to the group's expanding military capabilities.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, indicated that Israeli forces would continue to remain in a designated security zone in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.
In a recorded video statement released on Friday evening, Netanyahu described the framework agreement as a significant diplomatic achievement for Israel, saying it was the result of prolonged negotiations held in Washington with Lebanese representatives under US mediation.
He also characterised the agreement as a setback for Iran, accusing Tehran of attempting to pressure Israel into withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon.
Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, military activity continued along the border. Lebanese media reported that Israeli forces carried out both ground and aerial operations in southern Lebanon on Friday.
Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli troops launched an extensive search operation in the border town of Ain Arab after taking seven individuals—three Lebanese civilians and four Syrian agricultural workers—into Israeli-controlled territory earlier in the day.