[108339] Tensions in Lebanon surrounding the framework agreement and the continuation of Israeli military operations

The tension in Lebanon and the implications of the framework agreement

Following the signing of the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon last Friday, the situation on the ground in Lebanon continues to boil. According to reports from Abu Ali Express, a channel identified with firm security positions, the IDF is conducting a series of controlled explosions of Hezbollah infrastructure in villages in southern Lebanon, including Beit Yahoun, Zoutar, Hadatha, and At-Tiri. The channel notes that since the signing of the agreement, this activity has become "part of the daily routine."

At the memorial ceremony marking 20 years since the Second Lebanon War, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu clarified that Israel would do everything to achieve peace, but would remain in the "security strip" for as long as necessary to ensure the safety of the residents of the north, while rejecting Iran's demands for withdrawal (YINONEWS). Defense Minister Katz added that if necessary, Israel would not hesitate to attack Iran for a third time.

On the other hand, there is a deep schism within the political system in Lebanon. Kan 11 | Arab-Palestinian Desk reports that the Lebanese Foreign Minister, Youssef Raji, sees the negotiations as the only way to achieve sovereignty. Conversely, Hezbollah members of parliament, including Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, harshly attacked the government in Lebanon, called the agreement an "agreement of surrender and injustice," and emphasized that the organization "will not disarm."

The efforts to implement the agreement are receiving close American accompaniment. According to sources quoted by Kan 11, the visit of the commander of the US Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, to Beirut was intended to drive security coordination and implement pilot zones. While the government in Lebanon is trying to promote stability, figures in Hezbollah threaten that the agreement was "born burnt and dead" and warn against a deterioration into an intra-Lebanese struggle.