The United States, Israel and Lebanon announced this Friday (26) a trilateral framework agreement that guides peace negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv. The agreement was formalized in Washington.
The terms provide for a progressive ceasefire, in addition to the gradual withdrawal of Israeli troops from occupied areas in southern Lebanon. The presence of the Lebanese Army in the region should also be expanded.
Commenting on the agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the understanding “opens a new stage” for security in the Middle East.
“We are pleased to announce a framework agreement between the sovereign government of Lebanon and, of course, the government of Israel, with the mediation and support of the United States of America,” Rubio said at the signing ceremony.
From a strategic point of view, the agreement is important for eventual pacification between the US/Israel and Iran. In recent weeks, Tehran has been maintaining that any aggression by Israel against Lebanon means, in practice, disrespect for the ceasefire that Iran maintains with the US.
The measure announced today by Rubio will still be tested. The main basis for the uncertainty lies in the fact that the Israeli Armed Forces have advanced into northern Lebanon.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu went on local television and maintained that today’s agreement would represent a “coup against Iran”. For him, Israeli troops must remain in Lebanon until Hezbollah “disarms”.
Lebanon, through the Lebanese ambassador to the USA, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, considered that the agreement represents the “first step on the path to restoring the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Lebanon”.
Hezbollah, on the other hand, denies the effectiveness of the agreement. Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah deputy, said that “the path taken by the Lebanese authorities amounts to unilateral and gratuitous concessions that will only harm the country and serve the interests of the Israeli enemy.”
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br
