Lebanese Foreign Minister: The Framework Agreement is a Victory for the Diplomatic Solution

Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji said on Saturday (June 27th) that the "framework agreement" signed with Israel is "a victory for the diplomatic solution and the predominance of the logic of the state."

This came during a phone call from Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who congratulated him on signing the agreement with Israel under the auspices of the United States, according to a statement by the Lebanese Foreign Ministry.

Safadi expressed hope that the agreement would serve the interest of Lebanon and its people, and contribute to "restoring stability and consolidating the sovereignty of the state over its entire territory", the statement said.

For his part, the Lebanese minister praised Jordan's position, stressing that the agreement "embodies the victory of the diplomatic solution and the predominance of the logic of the state and its institutions."

In a statement by the Jordanian Foreign Ministry, Safadi said the agreement between Lebanon and Israel is an "important step" to support Lebanon's security and stability and enable it to extend its sovereignty over its entire territory.

Berri calls for staving off strife

Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday called on his country's citizens to ward off strife, after political differences between the parties over the framework agreement signed with Israel.

Media and parliamentarians in Lebanon saw the framework agreement signed with Israel as "historic and lifeline" for the country, while others saw it as a "gratuitous concession to the enemy", which sparked a state of controversy in the Arab country.

The Lebanese News Agency quoted Berri as saying: "My people in Lebanon, all of Lebanon, this is strife! Be in the fitnah like the son of the milkman, and he will not ride on the back and he will not be milked."

This phrase is attributed to Imam Ali bin Abi Talib, and it means isolation and not providing the opportunity for those who are lurking in fitnah, and the word "milk" refers to the young son of the camel, from whom people do not benefit either by riding or by drinking milk.

Hezbollah escalates its rhetoric, rejects framework agreement

 Hizbullah Secretary-General Naim Qassem called the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel under the auspices of the United States a "terrible fall" and a "surrender of sovereignty", stressing that his party will treat it as non-existent and that the Lebanese state must retreat from what he described as "the sin that is destroying Lebanon".

 Qassem said in a statement that the agreement represents "humiliation and shame," considering that the Lebanese authorities "legitimize the continuation of the occupation for many years and may even reach the annexation of Lebanese territory to the Israeli entity."

  The Secretary-General of Hizbullah strongly attacked the option of direct negotiations, considering them "meetings in acquiescence to the demands of the aggression", and that the PA went to them "without any power card" after abandoning the resistance and declaring it "outlaw" by a government decision issued on March 2.

Qassem stressed  that any agreement must be based on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory, refusing to link this withdrawal to internal files such as the resistance force or security arrangements.

He added that linking the withdrawal to the disarmament of Hizbullah is "a very dangerous proposition that crosses all red lines," stressing that the party will continue to fight "to defeat the occupation," saying, "We did not leave the field in the most difficult circumstances and we will not leave it, this is goodness and salvation."

Hizbullah supporters block roads in Beirut

Hezbollah supporters blocked vital roads and launched motorcycle rallies to express their rejection of the framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel under the auspices of the United States, in a move that reflected escalating political tensions within the country.

Groups of Hizbullah supporters blocked Salim Salam Road on Friday night with burning tires, leading to complete paralysis of traffic, the National News Agency reported, and protesters tried to block the road to Beirut International Airport before the Lebanese army intervened and quickly reopened it to prevent the vital facility from being disrupted.

The streets of Bechara al-Khoury, Riad al-Solh and the southern suburbs also witnessed huge motorcycle marches, during which participants raised party flags and Iranian flags, chanting slogans describing the agreement as a "surrender agreement". 

The move was accompanied by a security alert, with the army and security forces deploying checkpoints and temporary checkpoints, and security forces using tear gas in some locations to disperse gatherings and prevent friction.