Senior Lebanese official slams U.S.-brokered deal with Israel, warns of divisions

Lead

Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a key ally of Hezbollah, on Monday slammed a US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel, warning it could lead to attempts to divide Lebanese and said it would not be implemented. In comments to Lebanon's al-Akhbar newspaper, Berri described Iran-US negotiations as the only realistic opportunity to secure Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and said any attempt to separate Lebanon from the US-Iran track would prolong Israeli occupation.

Coverage Comparison

The Jerusalem Post reported that Berri rejected the agreement as a threat to Lebanese unity and sovereignty, noting that Hezbollah had rejected the deal as a surrender to Israel. The same outlet detailed that the agreement foresees the Lebanese military taking control of territory pending verified disarmament of non-state groups, and that the Lebanese administration has been pursuing a policy aimed at securing Hezbollah's disarmament. Israeli forces seized a self-declared security zone stretching into southern Lebanon during the war, according to the same report.

TASS — English, quoting Berri via the Elnashra news portal, reported that the speaker plans to unite voices against the peace agreement with Israel. Berri said he wants to prevent an escalation of discontent that could lead to internal conflict threatening civil peace, and intends to unite opponents of the agreement into a broad national bloc that will prevent the document from being approved in parliament. "Those who drafted this document will have to deal with me and a very large number of deputies," he warned. TASS also carried that the agreement was reached after five rounds of negotiations, and that the Lebanese armed forces are supposed to restore sovereign control over the entire territory of the country gradually.

The Hindu — World framed its report as Berri slamming the US-brokered agreement, quoting his dismissal of the deal as 'diktats'. The outlet noted that Israel has occupied a swathe of southern Lebanon in a war with Hezbollah that began on March 2, when the group opened fire at Israel in solidarity with Tehran after it came under US-Israeli attack. The Hindu also reported that Iran has insisted on a Lebanon ceasefire as part of its interim deal with Washington, and that the US has sponsored separate talks between the Lebanese and Israeli governments, which Beirut has attended despite Hezbollah's objections. Hezbollah has demanded Beirut quit its face-to-face talks with the Israeli government, and has rejected the deal as a surrender to Israel.

Key Claims

• Berri's opposition and strategy: Berri, who heads the Shiite Amal movement, said he is trying to prevent an escalation of discontent that could lead to an internal conflict that threatens civil peace. He intends to unite opponents of the agreement into a broad national bloc to block its approval in parliament. TASS quoted him as saying the current agreement is "ten times worse" than the 1983 agreement that the Lebanese parliament rejected in 1984, and that its purpose is to "provoke civil strife."

• Agreement details: The agreement, signed by the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors to Washington on Friday, was reached after five rounds of negotiations, according to TASS. It foresees the Lebanese armed forces gradually restoring effective sovereign control over the entire territory of the country, with non-governmental groups disarmed and their military infrastructure eliminated, creating conditions for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. The Jerusalem Post and The Hindu both reported that the agreement calls for Lebanon's Army to take over territory pending verified disarmament of non-state groups—a reference to Hezbollah.

• Hezbollah's stance: Hezbollah has rejected the deal as a surrender to Israel, as reported by both The Jerusalem Post and The Hindu. The group has also demanded that Beirut quit its face-to-face talks with the Israeli government.

• Israeli perspective: Israel has praised the agreement, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying it allows Israeli forces to continue to occupy southern Lebanon if Hezbollah does not disarm, as reported by both The Jerusalem Post and The Hindu.

• Context of the war: The war between Israel and Hezbollah began on March 2, when the group opened fire at Israel after Iran came under US-Israeli attack. Israeli forces seized a self-declared security zone stretching into southern Lebanon during the war, according to The Jerusalem Post.