ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Saturday rejected the framework agreement with Israel, calling it “humiliation, shame, and a surrender of sovereignty,” and urged the implementation of the recently signed US-Iran memorandum.

“The framework agreement in Washington is humiliation, shame, and a surrender of sovereignty. This agreement is null and void, and the provisions of the Iranian-American memorandum of understanding must be implemented,” Qassem said in a statement.

He also questioned the Lebanese authorities over the framework agreement with Israel, asking: “Where is the Lebanese authority’s trust and responsibility toward its people and the protection of Lebanon’s sovereignty?” and accused Beirut of failing to secure a ceasefire when it was previously offered.

In a statement, Qassem said Lebanese authorities had rejected a ceasefire proposal that emerged from US-Iran talks in April 2026, arguing that the decision enabled Israel to continue its military campaign in Lebanon.

“We told the authorities that direct negotiations are free concessions to Israel because they are meetings of submission to the demands of the aggression and the Israeli-American dictates in full,” Qassem said.

“You go to them while in dispute with more than half of the Lebanese people, contrary to the constitution and laws that consider the Israeli entity an enemy,” he added, further accusing the Lebanese government of ignoring the demands of its people. 

He said the memorandum stipulated that negotiations toward a final agreement would be completed within 60 days and accused Lebanese authorities of abandoning a stronger position.

“The memorandum of understanding guarantees ‘the safety of Lebanon’s territory and sovereignty,’ and sovereignty is achieved through a complete Israeli withdrawal agreed upon within sixty days,” Qassem said. “This was a source of strength for Lebanon that it could not have dreamed of.”

Qassem strongly criticized provisions linking an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah, saying such conditions would leave Lebanon dependent on Israeli approval.

The remarks came a day after Israel and Lebanon signed a US-mediated framework agreement aimed at ending hostilities and creating a pathway toward a broader settlement.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the deal as “the beginning of the beginning,” adding that “there's a lot of work ahead.”

Under the agreement, the Lebanese army would begin deploying in designated areas while Israeli forces would remain in a security zone in southern Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal “a major achievement” and said, “Israel will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon” until Hezbollah is disarmed and no longer poses a threat.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the agreement as “the first step on the path to restoring Lebanon's sovereignty over its complete, undivided territory.”