Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri reiterated opposition to the June framework agreement with Israel, while President Joseph Aoun, visiting Greece, called for its full bilateral implementation.
Speaker Berri on Monday rejected the framework agreement signed in June between Lebanon and Israel, saying the current situation with its existential risks does not justify acting on any sovereign titles under any pretext. He cited the agreement, secret appendices, or other grounds as inadmissible bases for state action.
After seven rounds of negotiations, Berri said the occupied area has expanded and Israel continues its war. He reiterated that Parliament exercised its democratic right in rejecting the framework agreement and warned against negotiating with Israel under fire.
Berri stressed that the South is an integral part of Lebanon and that preserving it, its people, and their reconstruction are the state's responsibility. He cautioned that Israel seeks not to target Hezbollah, its weapons, the Amal Movement, or the Shiite community, but rather to sow strife.
The Speaker rejected any questioning of the army's role as a national institution protecting Lebanese hopes and aspirations. He warned against calls for partition or federalism, saying these contradict the Taif Agreement and threaten Lebanon's existence.
President Aoun arrived in Athens on Monday for an official visit with Greek President Konstantinos Tasoulas, seeking international backing for the framework agreement and an end to hostilities in southern Lebanon. Speaking from Greece, Aoun stated the U.S.-sponsored deal should be implemented fully and bilaterally, rather than selectively or unilaterally.
Aoun told Tasoulas that the Lebanese people are tired of wars and need rest, arguing that diplomacy offers the best solution. He urged the Greek President to help Lebanon implement the framework deal without selectivity or unilateral action.
