Protests in Beirut Against Lebanon-Israel Framework Agreement

Analysts have raised concerns that the security deal between Israel and Lebanon could lead to a stalemate rather than a resolution to the conflict. The agreement reportedly ties an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah, a condition that regional analysts and politicians describe as unattainable.

According to reports, Hezbollah has rejected disarmament, and the Lebanese government is not seen as having the power to enforce it. This has led to concerns that the deal provides political cover for an open-ended Israeli military presence in southern Lebanon. One senior Lebanese politician, who was not named, called the agreement an “imposed settlement,” adding that the Lebanese army is not equipped to disarm Hezbollah.

Beirut-based analyst Michael Young stated that the agreement places “all the burden on Lebanon” and could allow Israel to remain in the south indefinitely. Fawaz Gerges, a scholar at the London School of Economics, described the deal as “born dead,” noting that Israel has already established a buffer zone approximately eight to 10 kilometres deep in southern Lebanon.