U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on as State Department Counselor Daniel Holler, Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh sign a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, at the State Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 26, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno
Jassem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), welcomed the contents of the framework agreement and the Lebanese and American efforts aimed at restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and securing Israel’s withdrawal from its territories.
He affirmed the GCC’s support for the Republic of Lebanon in reclaiming its full rights and extending its sovereignty over its entire territory, thereby contributing to placing the decision on war and peace solely in the hands of legitimate state institutions and enabling the brotherly Lebanese people to live in security, stability, and prosperity.
He also noted that GCC states support dialogue and peaceful, diplomatic means to resolve all disputes, commending the role of the United States in the process of this framework agreement and the negotiations and agreements it sponsors.
The agreement foresees the Lebanese military taking control of territory pending the verified disarmament of non-state groups — a reference to Hezbollah . It would enable the Israeli military to progressively withdraw completely out of Lebanon
But Hezbollah and its ally Speaker Nabih Berri criticized the deal
Berri, who is the head of the Amal Movement, a key ally of Iran described the agreement as “dictates” in an interviews with the pro- Hezbollah daily Al-Akhbar which quoted him as saying the most dangerous aspect potential for it to incite internal divisions and draw the Lebanese into a confrontation among themselves”.
The agreement “won’t be implemented”, al-Akhbar cited Berri as saying.
Many Lebanese leaders accused Berri of inciting civil war . Berri, who often acts as a key interlocutor for Hezbollah, maintains a close political and strategic alliance with Iran.
Waddah Sadek a prominent Lebanese MP blasted Berri and Hezbollah over their criticism of the deal
“Those who handed over our territorial waters to the Israelis—and subsequently signed a humiliating surrender agreement with them in 2024—have no right to criticize the state. That state is doing everything possible to protect its people and reclaim its territory, after having lost it to Iran’s military proxies in Lebanon. You are the last people who should be speaking about patriotism.”
He is referring to the US-brokered maritime border agreement of October 27, 2022 in which Berri represented Hezbollah . The Lebanese authorities were not involved in the negotiation. Michel Aoun who was the president at the time was an ally of Hezbollah .
He is also referring to the November 24, 2024 ceasefire agreement between Hezbollah and Israel . Berri again repressed Hezbollah in the deal
