Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has urged negotiators to set a clear timetable for Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese territory, while Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem has condemned Beirut’s pursuit of the framework as harmful to Lebanon’s army.
Salam made the demand during a Friday meeting with US Ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa and General Joseph Clearfield, who heads the US military coordination group for Lebanon. They discussed the military track of negotiations with Israel and developments in southern Lebanon.
What Lebanon is asking for
A statement from Salam’s office said he called for Israel to stop destruction operations, expand the scope of pilot areas and establish a timetable for withdrawal. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri separately met the same US officials and said Israel’s continued actions included village demolitions, bulldozed farmland, forest fires and damage to heritage sites.
Issa described the talks as positive and said negotiations would continue, but he did not provide a date for the next round. The talks are expected to resume in early September.
Related coverage: Nawaf Salam says south Lebanon attacks violate international law.
Why Hezbollah is rejecting the framework
Qassem accused Lebanese officials of exposing the Lebanese army to bombardment and Israeli pressure by implementing what he called a non-functional agreement. He also alleged that Israel was seeking to tie Lebanon to an oversight body that would control the army’s deployment and internal operations.
Qassem pointed to continued strikes on homes and the demolition of tunnels inside Zawtar al-Gharbiyeh, described as the first designated pilot zone, despite the Lebanese army’s presence there. He challenged officials to identify an achievement from the seven negotiation rounds.
The central condition and cost of the dispute
Issa said Israeli attacks would stop only if Hezbollah disarmed. The June trilateral framework, involving the United States, calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament alongside a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, where Israeli forces occupy several areas.
More context: Israel sets Hamas disarmament condition for Gaza withdrawal.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said Israel would not withdraw until Hezbollah was disarmed. Lebanese authorities said Israeli attacks since March 2 had killed 4,335 people, wounded 12,277 and displaced more than one million. Israeli forces have continued occupying parts of southern Lebanon while demolishing homes and displacing residents.
Also read: What comes after UNIFIL in southern Lebanon?.
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