A political official in Lebanon to N12 following the agreement: “The next 72 hours are critical”

The agreement between Israel and Lebanon that was signed at the end of the week led to a series of stormy reactions in Lebanon, and caused great uncertainty regarding Hezbollah’s response. A political official in Lebanon who spoke with N12 emphasized the grave concern among opponents of the terrorist organization in the country, and emphasized: “This is a blow to Iran, it is working to blow up the agreement.”

Hizbullah leader Naim Qassem yesterday harshly attacked the agreement and called it a “historical mistake”. He clarified that the terrorist organization he heads is committed to the memorandum of understanding signed between the US and Iran, and not to the agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon.

“The next 72 hours are very critical when it comes to what may happen on the ground,” the Lebanese official told N12. “Hezbollah only wants war. We did not expect anything other than an aggressive response. They use violence every time they want to convey a message, so they will not stop with just a statement.”

According to him, there is a real fear in Lebanon of a terrorist attack by Hezbollah, assassinations or widespread protests, but he estimates that the situation will not escalate to the point of a real civil war.

Sources in the party of Nabia Berri, the Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament and close to Hezbollah in the country, told Al-Sharq Al-Awast that he was surprised by the content of the agreement. He told the Saudi newspaper that he sees the agreement as a danger to Lebanon’s stability, but called for restraint and prevention of escalation.

The Lebanese politician who spoke with N12 clarified that the new agreement is a blow to Iran, as it is intended to fight its main branch in the world and the channel of control in Lebanon. “This agreement cuts off Iran’s hand,” he says, adding: “There is no country that wants this agreement to fail more than Iran.”

The source warns of Iran’s actions aimed at blowing up the agreement. He also points to the opposition of extremist elements in Israel and Lebanon to the agreement as evidence that it is essential.

According to him, the agreement represents an “opportunity that should not be missed” to improve Lebanon’s situation and its relations with Israel, and says that Lebanon knows it “should take advantage of it.” The Lebanese politician expresses cautious optimism regarding the chances of success of the pilot, in the framework of which the IDF will vacate areas and the Lebanese army will take control of them and keep them cleansed of Hezbollah.

At the same time, he wants to convey a message to the public and the Israeli leadership: “It’s not just a matter of what the Lebanese government and the Lebanese army will do – it’s also a matter of whether Israel and the United States will be patient enough towards the process and support the government sufficiently. Any other action helps Hezbollah’s narrative.”