[108809] Lebanon and Syria discuss the framework agreement with Israel amid Hezbollah opposition

Tensions in Beirut: Syrian Foreign Minister visits Lebanon

Syrian Foreign Minister, Assad al-Shaibani, arrived for a visit in Beirut and met with the top Lebanese leadership, including President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Najib Mikati. According to Kan 11 | Arab-Palestinian Desk, his visit dealt with proposals for implementing the Lebanese state's decisions to disarm Hezbollah and restrict security responsibility to the state alone. In a joint press conference, al-Shaibani emphasized that Syria opposes Israeli attacks on Lebanon, but refused to elaborate on direct intervention in dismantling the terrorist organization, noting that it is an "internal Lebanese matter."

At the same time, Abu Ali Express reports that the Lebanese government is trying to distance itself from President Trump's proposal, which called on Syria to assist in disarming Hezbollah. Syrian President, Ahmad al-Sharaa, clarified that Trump's remarks were misunderstood, and that Syria has no intention of entering Lebanon for this purpose.

Internal opposition and disputes over the "framework agreement"

The Lebanese leadership is presenting a divided front. While President Joseph Aoun emphasizes, according to Kan 11, that Lebanon has made an independent decision to conduct negotiations with Israel and criticizes Hezbollah for their attempts to distort the agreement, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri presents an opposing position. According to The Arena Convergence, Berri, who is close to Hezbollah, defines the framework agreement as a "bad and unfair agreement" and claims it could lead to a "civil war." Berri claims that Israel is trying to drag the Lebanese army into an internal confrontation with Hezbollah, a scenario that he says "will not happen."

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun emphasized the heavy price his country has paid, noting that "over four thousand killed in the war with Israel" require the country to find a diplomatic way to end the conflict. According to him, as published in Kan 11, the Lebanese public is not interested in the continuation of the status quo. However, The Strategic Command Post warns in a commentary post that excessive sensitivity to captives and weakness in conflict management could invite further aggression from the enemy, while criticizing the modern Israeli approach to the issue of hostages.