Mass Protests Erupt Across Lebanon Over US-sponsored Deal with Israel

Saturday, 27 June 2026 7:01 AM

Lebanese Protesters take to the streets to denounce the government’s signing of a US-brokered agreement with Israel, Beirut, Lebanon, June 26, 2026. (Photo via social media)

Thousands of Lebanese have taken to the streets in several cities and towns to denounce a US-sponsored “framework agreement” with Israel, describing it as a threat to their country’s sovereignty.

On Friday night, protests spread across Beirut and other parts of Lebanon following the government’s announcement of a US-supported framework agreement with the Israeli regime.

Demonstrators gathered in Ramlet al-Bayda, near government headquarters, and in several neighborhoods of the capital, expressing anger over the deal and rejecting any move toward direct negotiations with the occupying entity.

Protesters blocked major roads in the Salim Salam area and burned tires, while similar demonstrations were reported in Msharafiyeh and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Sit-ins were also organized in several locations, where participants called for the cancellation of the agreement and warned against any political or diplomatic engagement with Israel.

Hezbollah chief: Israel will have to leave Lebanon 'humiliated, defeated'

The Hezbollah leader says Israel must end its military operations by land, air and sea and fully withdraw from Lebanese territory.

The protests followed an announcement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said an agreement had been reached between Lebanon and Israel.

Israel’s ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, welcomed the development, claiming that under the framework, “Hezbollah is out.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also praised the agreement, describing it as a significant achievement for the regime.

Netanyahu further stated that Israel would not allow Lebanese residents to return to areas within the so-called security belt under Israeli control and insisted that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon.

Protesters interviewed by local media rejected those statements and reaffirmed their opposition to any arrangement that legitimizes Israel’s presence on Lebanese territory.

Since March 2, when Israel launched its latest military aggression against Lebanon, the occupying regime’s forces have killed at least 3,600 people and wounded 11,000 others in the Arab country.

In response to the attacks, the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah has continued military operations against Israeli forces along the border.

The Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by Iran and the US in June includes provisions calling for an end to Israeli attacks on Lebanon and respect for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.