Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement in Washington, Hezbollah objects and Netanyahu maintains southern occupation
via Business News3 min read
Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington on Friday, June 26, 2026, mediated by the United States, after decades of hostility and months of conflict. The agreement, presented as a first step toward lasting peace, has been contested by Hezbollah, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that residents of areas occupied by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon would not be allowed to return home. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the agreement as establishing "a framework for lasting peace and security." The talks, which began in mid-April, were the first direct discussions in decades between the two states, which remain officially at war. Lebanese Ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, viewed it as "a first step toward restoring Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Lebanese President Joseph Aoun echoed this, calling it a "first step" towards a fully sovereign Lebanon and promising continued efforts until all "occupation," "guardianship," or "subordination" disappears. He assured that residents could return to "their fully liberated lands." However, Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, emphasized that "Iran is excluded, Hezbollah is excluded" from this process. Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed that residents who fled Israeli-occupied sectors in southern Lebanon would not be permitted to return, stating, "We do not let Hezbollah in, and we do not let the civilian population in either," confirming the mai
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Must ReadAbir Moussi, president of the Free Destourian Party PDL, has announced she will begin a hunger strike and observe silence until polling stations close for the partial legislative election in the El Kabaria constituency on Sunday, June 28. In a letter from her cell, Moussi states this action, coinciding with her 1000th day of detention, protests what she views as a loss of legitimacy of electoral institutions and the conditions of her incarceration. She reiterates legal arguments from a May 8 letter, claiming several members of the Independent High Authority for Elections Isie, including its president, vice-president, spokesperson, and a financial judiciary representative, completed their four-year terms on May 9, 2026. Moussi questions the legal basis for Isie continuing its activities, such as organizing the El Kabaria election, without public explanation. She also criticizes Isie for not issuing official communication or explanation regarding her concerns. Moussi highlights that the June 28 election marks her 1000th day since her arrest on October 3, 2023. She reports transfers between penitentiary facilities, difficulties accessing healthcare, and ongoing legal proceedings under decree-law n掳54 and article 72 of the Penal Code. She concludes her letter by stating her refusal to eat or speak until polls close, framing it as a tribute to "legitimacy" and a protest against "injustice" and "authoritarian drift." Moussi asserts that "repression will not correct dysfunctions and
Must ReadThe Tunisian Human Rights League LTDH has strongly condemned the sentences handed down to Sihem Bensedrine, former president of the Truth and Dignity Commission IVD, and Khaled Krichi, a former member of the commission. The LTDH views these sentences as an attack on transitional justice and human rights defenders. In a statement released on Friday, the League described the judgments as "unjust," referring to the 25-year prison sentence for Sihem Bensedrine and the 10-year sentence for Khaled Krichi. The LTDH stated that these convictions represent a direct attack on figures of transitional justice and are part of an attempt to silence independent voices involved in human rights defense. The organization affirmed that "truth will not be imprisoned and transitional justice will not be buried." These reactions follow the verdict from the criminal chamber specializing in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance. The court sentenced Sihem Bensedrine to a total of 25 years in prison across two separate cases concerning the management of the Truth and Dignity Commission and the Franco-Tunisian Bank BFT file. She was also accused of forgery, use of forged documents, and possession of falsified documents, which resulted in an additional fifteen-year sentence. Khaled Krichi received two five-year prison sentences, totaling ten years, in the two cases examined. The cases also involved former Minister of State Domains Mabrouk Korchid, businessman Slim Chiboub, and
Sihem Bensedrine, former President of the Truth and Dignity Instance IVD, has been sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison by the criminal chamber specializing in financial corruption cases at the Tunis Court of First Instance. Bensedrine reacted to the verdict on Facebook with an ironic message, stating, "Sentenced to 25 years in prison. Everything in excess loses its value." The conviction stems from two separate cases. The first involves alleged irregularities during the IVD's work, particularly concerning an arbitration and reconciliation agreement with businessman Slim Chiboub. In this case, Bensedrine, former IVD member Khaled Krichi, and former Minister of State Domains Mabrouk Korchid were found guilty of abusing their positions to harm the administration for the benefit of a third party. Bensedrine and Krichi received five-year sentences, while Korchid received six years, all with immediate execution. Slim Chiboub was sentenced to five years for complicity. The second case relates to the Franco-Tunisian Bank BFT dossier, where Bensedrine, Krichi, Korchid, and Abdelmajid Bouden were also found guilty of abuse of function and regulatory violations. Bensedrine and Krichi received five years, and Korchid and Bouden six years, with immediate execution for the latter two. Additionally, Bensedrine was found guilty of forgery, use of forged documents, and possession of falsified documents, which resulted in an additional fifteen-year sentence, bringing her total to 25 yea