Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem, in a statement Saturday, sharply condemned the framework agreement signed between Israel and Lebanon, calling it a 'grave downfall and a historic mistake' that grants Israel its wishes for free. Qassem contrasted the accord with the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, describing the latter as a 'gift of honor, strength, and steadfastness' for Lebanon. His criticism follows the bulletin The Zioneer published earlier today in which Qassem labeled the deal a 'terrible mistake.'
In a new statement on Saturday, Hezbollah Deputy Secretary-General Naim Qassem escalated his criticism of the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement, labeling it a 'humiliation, disgrace, and surrender of sovereignty.' The statement, which contrasts the accord with the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) — calling the MOU a 'gift of honor, strength, and steadfastness' for Lebanon — was published at an unstated time on Saturday, following The Zioneer's earlier bulletin at 16:08 Jerusalem. In that bulletin, Qassem had already called the framework deal a 'terrible mistake' and urged replacing it with the U.S.-Iran MOU. The new statement sharpens the language by directly accusing the agreement of degrading Lebanese sovereignty.
This latest criticism extends a thread of escalating opposition from Qassem throughout Saturday. At 16:08 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published four successive versions of Qassem's condemnation: first, he called the deal 'humiliating and disgraceful' (version 1); then declared it 'void' and demanded its replacement with the U.S.-Iran MOU (version 2); followed by warnings that tying Israeli withdrawal to disarmament crosses 'red lines' and that the deal is a 'grave sin' (version 3); and finally urging the replacement of the framework with the MOU (version 4). The current statement adds 'surrender of sovereignty' and 'humiliation' to the lexicon of condemnation, while maintaining the central demand for the U.S.-Iran MOU as an alternative.
As The Zioneer reported on June 17, Qassem previously urged exploiting the U.S.-Iran deal to drive Israel from Lebanon, and on June 5 he formally rejected U.S.-brokered ceasefire talks, calling them 'absurd and shameful.' Hezbollah officially endorsed the reported U.S.-Iran agreement on June 15, framing it as ensuring Lebanon's rights. The Zioneer also reported on June 15 that the U.S.-Iran MOU includes a 60-day Lebanon ceasefire, and that Israeli officials expressed dissatisfaction with the terms, which preserve Hezbollah.
It remains unclear whether the new statement represents a coordinated escalation or a separate initiative by the Deputy Secretary-General. No additional details have emerged regarding the timing or venue of the statement. The Zioneer has not yet been able to independently verify the full text of the statement.
6 developments
- StrongHezbollah secretary-general: Israel-Lebanon agreement 'void', calls for applying US-Iran understandings
- DevelopingHezbollah's Qassem says group committed to US-Iran understandings
- StrongHezbollah chief demands Israel leave Lebanon, accuses IDF of war crimes
- StrongHezbollah chief Qassem reaffirms armed resistance as only path, demands full Israeli withdrawal
Source and signal
- Internal intake