Lead:
Lebanon's recently concluded framework agreement with the United States and Israel has triggered a sharp political confrontation, dividing the country's major factions along deeply entrenched lines. Speaker Nabih Bri's outright rejection of the accord, combined with coordinated resistance from Hezbollah and Amal, has placed the agreement's implementation in serious doubt, even as President Jouzef Aoun and his government signal an unwavering commitment to seeing the process through to completion.
Details:
According to Al-Diyar, ministerial circles close to the presidency have confirmed that President Aoun remains firmly committed to the framework agreement and that the political will necessary to advance the process is fully intact. A separate official source cited by Al-Jadid television stated that army commander General Jouzef Aoun had closely accompanied the president throughout the Washington negotiations, and that the military delegation had prepared the agreement's operational annex in direct coordination with him, dismissing as unfounded all circulating reports suggesting friction between the presidency and the armed forces.
Al-Diyar further reports that coordination meetings between the leaderships of Hezbollah and the Amal movement have produced a clear joint strategy of opposition, grounded in legal and constitutional arguments. Both movements have reportedly agreed to refrain from mobilizing street protest, out of concern for preserving relations with the Lebanese Army and avoiding internal instability. Nevertheless, deputy Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, head of the Baalbek-Hermel bloc, described the agreement publicly as "shameful, a surrender, and a humiliation," insisting it would not pass. Deputy Ihab Hammadeh of the Wafaa lil-Muqawama bloc echoed this position, asserting that no concession of Lebanese territory carries any legitimacy.
Newsd Lebanon and Al-Markazia report that Washington is actively preparing for a new negotiating round in the first half of July between Lebanese and Israeli delegations. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted as stating that Tehran held Washington to its commitment to end the war in Lebanon, and that Iran would not participate in fresh negotiations until the existing memorandum of understanding is implemented. Meanwhile, Al-Nahar notes that a direct American military role between Lebanon and Israel is under discussion, though Al-Diyar and Newsd Lebanon both indicate this presence would be limited to a monitoring mission rather than a full combat or enforcement deployment.
Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea took a contrasting position, acknowledging the agreement as "a necessity imposed by Hezbollah's conduct" while vowing that opposition forces would not allow it to be defeated. Deputy Jibran Bassil of the Free Patriotic Movement met separately with Speaker Bri, with both sides expressing alignment on rejecting sectarian strife and protecting the army.
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