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Framework vs accountability
Amnesty International and five human rights and press freedom organizations said the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26, 2026 threatens to betray war crimes victims in Lebanon by appearing to prevent victims of serious international crimes from seeking justice before international forums.
“The Israel-Lebanon framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26, 2026, threatens to betray war crimes victims in Lebanon, Amnesty International and five human rights and press freedom organizations said today”
Amnesty International warned that Clause 13 commits Israel and Lebanon to the cessation of “all hostile or adverse actions in international political or legal fora,” and said that if the agreement is interpreted to prevent recourse to international courts, including the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, it would contradict international legal obligations to pursue accountability for serious international crimes committed on their territories.
The organizations said Clause 3 conditions the return of residents to specified zones along the border, currently occupied by Israel, to the “successful disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of their infrastructure,” which Amnesty International said violates the prohibition of forced displacement.
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard said, “Time and time again, we have seen civilians in Lebanon pay the price for successive cycles of conflict and serious violations and crimes under international law with no accountability,” as the group described the agreement as failing to center rights to justice, accountability and reparations.
Amnesty International said it has documented the Israeli military’s repeated violations of the laws of war and apparent war crimes in Lebanon, including “the unlawful use of white phosphorus, which causes horrific burns, over residential areas.”
Aoun urges US backing
Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun urged the United States to continue supporting Lebanon’s sovereignty, institutions, and people as Washington pressed ahead with a US-backed framework agreement aimed at permanently ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
In a message congratulating U.S. President Donald Trump on the 250th anniversary of American independence, Aoun called on Washington to "always keep standing beside Lebanon's right and just causes, its institutions, army and people," and said he hoped Lebanon could “turn the page on wars... and open a new page of hope, peace and stability.”
Kurdistan24 reported that Hezbollah rejected the framework, arguing it does not include a clear timetable for a full Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon, while Israeli strikes persisted and Israeli forces maintained positions in several areas near the border despite the ceasefire.
The ceasefire entered into force on June 21, and Kurdistan24 said the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported more than 640,000 displaced people had returned to their homes since June 22, while Lebanese authorities estimated the conflict killed around 4,300 people and displaced more than one million others.
Kurdistan24 said Lebanese Social Affairs Minister Haneen Sayed told a visit to Nabatieh that the government was preparing measures to facilitate the return of displaced families, including prefabricated housing units and rental assistance.
Hezbollah rejects, risks ahead
Naim Qassem rejected the preliminary peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel on June 28, saying the document was heavily biased in favor of Israel and calling it “shameful.”
“Western diplomats have privately dismissed the Lebanon-Israel peace framework, with one calling it a "non-starter" amid concerns over its uncertain legal standing”
Qassem argued that linking Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah’s demand for disarmament had “crossed all red lines” and turned Lebanon into a “pawn in the enemy's hands,” while he said direct negotiations with Israel amount to “imposing surrender and unconditional concessions.”
The National reported that Lebanon’s parliament Speaker Nabih Berri vowed the deal “will not pass,” condemning it as an “agreement of 'dictates', not an agreement that preserves Lebanon's rights,” and it said opponents criticized the lack of a clear timetable for ending Israel’s occupation.
The National also quoted MP Melhem Khalaf warning that “There is a deliberate ambiguity,” and said the framework lacked consequences for non-compliance and meaningful implementation dimensions.
The stakes described across the sources included the risk of prolonged displacement and the legal fight over accountability, with Amnesty International warning that the agreement could contradict obligations to pursue accountability and Kurdistan24 reporting that thousands remained unable to return to villages along the southern border because Israeli troops were still deployed and destruction left communities uninhabitable.
