Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah warned on Sunday of potential "internal conflict" in Lebanon stemming from the country's recently signed agreement with Israel. Speaking at a memorial ceremony, Fadlallah declared that the deal, which the Iran-backed militant group rejects, would never be implemented.
Agreement Details and Hezbollah's Rejection
The agreement, signed in Washington on Friday after five rounds of talks, aims to pave the way to peace between the neighboring countries. It includes plans to disarm Hezbollah. Hezbollah's leader Naim Qassem described the deal as "null and void" on Saturday, calling it "a surrender of sovereignty." Fadlallah echoed this sentiment, stating: "The agreement of humiliation and disgrace signed by the authorities will never see the light of day and will not be implemented."
Fadlallah's Warning of Internal Conflict
Fadlallah warned that the authorities' actions amount to "sedition aimed at pushing the country into chaos and shifting the conflict from one with the enemy to an internal conflict." He vowed that Hezbollah would continue its path of resistance, saying: "Our finger will remain on the trigger, we will continue our path of resistance to achieve our objectives, and we will exercise our legitimate right to defend our people."
President Aoun's Stance and Continued Violence
Fadlallah's remarks came a day after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US President Donald Trump in a phone call that the Lebanese state "will assume its responsibilities" in implementing the framework agreement. Meanwhile, violence continues. On Sunday, Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported an Israeli airstrike targeting the outskirts of Deir Seryan and Taybeh. State media also reported Israeli airstrikes on Saturday, with the Lebanese health ministry saying one person was killed in an attack on Nabatieh Al-Fawqa. The Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah militants and dismantled a Hezbollah rocket launcher in the area.
Context of the Conflict
Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war in March with rocket fire aimed at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran's supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion. The US State Department shared the text of the deal, in which Lebanon and Israel expressed intent to "conclusively end the conflict, address its underlying causes and to therewith formally conclude any state of war between them." The agreement sets up a process for Lebanon's military to restore sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending verified disarmament of non-state armed groups. However, Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz insisted that Israeli troops would be able to stay in Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remained armed.
