Hezbollah Chief Again Rejects Lebanon-Israel Deal, Refuses "Surrender"

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has again rejected a framework deal between Lebanon and Israel. The deal, signed in late June, calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from south Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in pilot zones.

Qassem described the framework agreement as "illegitimate, unlawful, humiliating, destructive to Lebanese sovereignty." He also rejected the concept of pilot zones and any proposed verification system. According to New Straits Times, the conflict between Israel and Lebanon began on March 2, when Hezbollah attacked Israel, prompting a massive Israeli response that Lebanese authorities say has killed over 4,300 people.

The US-sponsored direct talks between Lebanon and Israel aimed to address the situation. However, Qassem maintained that his group is against the framework agreement and called for its downfall.

Brief written by urgent.news from NDTV, New Straits Times, Middle East Eye, Free Malaysia Today, Le Monde English — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.