Yair Golan, leader of the main opposition Democrats Party in Israel, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's "strategic failure" deprived the country of the ability to mobilize the US and Europe.
In a post on his X social media account, Golan evaluated the framework agreement signed between Tel Aviv and Beirut. Golan, who previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Israeli military from 2014-2017, emphasized that Hezbollah will not give up its weapons on paper only.
Call for international mechanism
Golan said, "Nothing will change unless an effective international force with real executive authority is established," and claimed that establishing such a mechanism is not possible for Israel under Netanyahu's leadership.
The opposition leader said, "Under Netanyahu, Israel has lost the leadership capacity to guide the US, Europe and moderate countries toward a common course of action. The country has lost trust, influence and strategic alliances."
'Military successes did not turn into a political solution'
Accusing the Netanyahu government of failing to turn military gains into long-term political security, Golan said, "This agreement is a new chapter of failure. It does not disarm Hezbollah, nor will it eliminate the threat in the north, and it will not provide real security."
Arguing that the framework agreement is essentially "election propaganda and marketing of false political success," Golan said the Lebanese government is incapable of disarming Hezbollah. "If the Lebanese government could do it, it would have done it long ago and would not have waited for an agreement with Israel," he commented.
Agreement and reactions
The framework agreement signed between Beirut and Tel Aviv on Friday evening envisions a "gradual" withdrawal of Israel from all Lebanese territories. In the first phase, a withdrawal will be made from two pilot areas that have not yet been determined.
While Lebanese officials described the agreement as a "first step" toward re-establishing state sovereignty, Hezbollah found the agreement "null and void" and "humiliating." Hezbollah considered Israel's linking of withdrawal to Hezbollah's disarmament as a "red line."
While Israel has occupied parts of southern Lebanon for decades, it advanced to a depth exceeding 10 kilometers in the recent attacks. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, 4,246 people have been killed, 12,190 injured, and more than 1 million displaced in Israel's attacks on Lebanon so far.
