Key facts
- Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri stated the US-brokered framework with Israel is not workable in its current form.
- Mitri emphasized that the framework requires approval from the Lebanese Council of Ministers to become a binding agreement.
- He noted that the framework does not meet all of Lebanon's demands but is a beginning.
- Mitri acknowledged domestic divisions regarding the framework.
- He pointed to Israeli statements suggesting Israel does not consider itself bound by the framework.
- Mitri described the conflict as a war on Lebanon, not just Hezbollah.
Lebanon's Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri has stated that the US-brokered framework aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah is not workable in its current form and requires approval from the Lebanese government to become a binding agreement. Mitri clarified that while the president can negotiate, any final agreement must be approved by the Council of Ministers, a step that has not yet occurred.
Mitri described the framework as a beginning rather than a final settlement, acknowledging it does not meet all of Lebanon's demands. He also noted significant domestic divisions over the proposal and pointed to Israeli statements made shortly after the framework's release as evidence that Israel does not consider itself bound by it. Specifically, he cited statements from Israeli officials indicating their intention to remain in southern Lebanon.
The Deputy Prime Minister characterized the ongoing conflict as a "war on Lebanon" rather than solely a confrontation involving Hezbollah, noting that many areas without Hezbollah military activity have been severely affected. He also addressed criticism regarding Article 13 of the framework, which suspends legal and political actions during negotiations, asserting that Lebanon's work documenting war crimes will continue and that the article only implies suspension, not a permanent end to legal action.
Regarding the disarmament of Hezbollah, Mitri insisted it is a political matter, not a military one, and that the Lebanese army should not confront the group by force. He suggested that pilot zones agreed upon in the framework could serve as a test for the army's ability to expand state authority while allowing Hezbollah to withdraw without provoking conflict.