Ben-Gvir calls Lebanon deal 'grave mistake,' demands Cabinet vote

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Saturday publicly condemned the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon as a "grave mistake," calling on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to submit the US-mediated deal for a formal vote in the security cabinet.

Minister challenges Hezbollah disarmament

In a post on the social media platform X, Ben-Gvir wrote that he had been opposing the deal for weeks and asked Netanyahu to bring it for a Cabinet vote. "True, we remain in most areas for now, but the Lebanese state will not disarm Hezbollah," he wrote, arguing that the group holds positions within the Lebanese government.

He added that "only Israeli army soldiers will destroy Hezbollah," asserting that no other party would dismantle the group on Israel's behalf and that Beirut could not be relied upon to remove the organization's weapons.

Withdrawal terms

Lebanon and Israel signed the framework agreement on Friday under US mediation, stipulating a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory beginning with two unnamed pilot areas, though the accord sets no specific timetable for complete withdrawal. It links any Israeli pullback to the Lebanese army assuming full security control over evacuated areas and to the disarmament of all non-state armed groups, with specific reference to Hezbollah.