Afghanistan, June 29 -- Nabih Berri, Lebanon's parliament speaker and a key ally of Hezbollah, has rejected a U.S.-brokered framework agreement with Israel, saying it fails to protect Lebanon's rights and will not be approved in its current form.
In a statement issued by Amal Movement, Berri described the proposed arrangement as an imposed agreement rather than one that safeguards Lebanese sovereignty. The framework links a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon to the disarmament of Hezbollah.
The proposed agreement was announced after U.S.-mediated negotiations aimed at reducing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border following months of cross-border hostilities. Israeli officials have said their forces would remain in a secur...