Beirut, June 28 -- Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem has issued a blistering rejection of the newly signed framework agreement between the Lebanese authorities and Israel, formally declaring the pact "null and void."

In a statement issued following the announcement of the US-mediated deal, Qassem characterised the agreement as a "humiliating" and "shameful" surrender of Lebanese sovereignty that prioritises Israeli and American dictates over the nation's independence.

The Hezbollah leader centred his critique on the claim that the agreement bypasses the superior protections offered by a separate Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the US. According to Qassem, the MoU, which he described as a "gift of honour, dignit...