Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has issued a stark warning to Lebanese citizens about potential discord following the "framework agreement" reached in the negotiations between the Lebanese government and the Israeli occupation.
Speaking on Saturday, Berri stated: "Oh my people in Lebanon, all of Lebanon, it is discord! In discord, be like the son of the zebras: neither rideable nor milking," referring to the delicate situation. The U.S. announced on Friday that a "framework agreement" had been reached between Lebanon and 'Israel', which was hailed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as an achievement while continuing the occupation in South Lebanon. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that the agreement established a mechanism for "disarming Hezbollah and dismantling its infrastructure," and set up a trilateral military coordination group facilitated by the U.S.
The announcement was met with widespread rejection and angry protest movements across several Lebanese regions, accompanied by popular and political backlash. Lebanese MP Hassan Fadlallah, from the "Loyalty to the Resistance" bloc, reaffirmed Hezbollah's opposition to direct negotiations with the Israeli enemy. Fadlallah warned in a statement, commenting on the signing of the framework agreement in Washington, cautioning against a path "undermining Lebanon's sovereignty and causing dangerous internal divisions."
Similarly, Lebanese parliamentarian Halima Kaakour directed several questions to the President and Prime Minister: "How do you agree to not prosecute the enemy for war crimes?" Kaakour added, "Don't you realize there is no peace without justice, and what you talk about is peace through power and submission?" Continuing, she emphasized that this is a "significant and dangerous blunder." Meanwhile, Lebanese Communist Party Secretary-General Hanna Gharib asserted that "there is no peace with an apartheid and genocide entity," calling for efforts to topple what he described as the "shame agreement." In statements via the "X" platform, Gharib added, "We have rejected the normalization agreement in maritime border delineation with the Israeli enemy from the start, so how can we submit to a subjugation agreement now?"
Last night saw several Lebanese regions witnessing angry protest movements rejecting the "framework agreement." Dozens gathered in the Ramlet al-Baida and surrounding the Grand Serail in the capital, Beirut, while protesters blocked roads and set tires on fire in the Salim Salam area.