Hezbollah supporters flooded central Beirut and the airport road after the U.S.-brokered Israel-Lebanon framework agreement was announced, according to Lebanese state media. Roadblocks with burning tires were set up, and the Lebanese army deployed checkpoints across the capital. The protests mark an escalation of unrest against the deal.
Hezbollah supporters poured into Beirut's streets tonight after the announcement of the U.S.-brokered framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, escalating a wave of protests that began a day earlier.
As The Zioneer reported at 21:21 Saturday, Hezbollah activists demonstrated overnight and were dispersed by the Lebanese army. The current unrest — with motorbike convoys, burning tire roadblocks, and army deployment to the airport road — is a direct escalation of that earlier protest frame.
Footage circulating among Lebanese sources shows Hezbollah and Islamic Republic flags, with no Lebanese flags visible. The Lebanese army has deployed checkpoints across the capital but has not yet fully dispersed the crowd, according to state media. Theprotest is the most visible test yet of whether the Lebanese state can enforce sovereignty against Hezbollah's rejection of the agreement.
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem earlier declared the deal "null and void" because it conditions an Israeli withdrawal on the group's disarmament, as The Zioneer reported at 20:55 Saturday. The framework, signed Friday in Washington between the Lebanese government and Israel, was met with immediate rioting.
6 developments
- DevelopingHezbollah supporters block Beirut government district, airport road in renewed protest
- StrongVideo shows armed Hezbollah operative at Beirut protests
- StrongLebanese army uses batons, tear gas to disperse Hezbollah protesters blocking roads
- DevelopingLebanese government signs US-brokered agreement with Israel in Washington
Source and signal
- Internal intake