BEIRUT, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday criticized a draft agreement between Lebanon and Israel, describing most of its provisions as "unjust" and rejecting key conditions concerning Hezbollah and southern Lebanon.
In a statement, Berri said the text fell short of demanding a "complete and unconditional" ceasefire on land, sea, and air, and was "booby-trapped" by additional provisions requiring a full cessation of fire by Hezbollah and the withdrawal of all its members from south of the Litani River.
Berri, a Shia political figure with close ties to Hezbollah, also objected to provisions concerning Israeli military withdrawals, saying the agreement should have stipulated a withdrawal beyond occupied Lebanese territory. Instead, he said, it referred to withdrawals from "experimental zones" while barring the presence of any other actors.
Berri said he would only agree to two principles: a comprehensive and unconditional ceasefire on land, sea, and air, without demolition or destruction, and Hezbollah's withdrawal from south of the Litani River in parallel with an Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the conflict.
The remarks came amid discussions over a proposed arrangement aimed at ending hostilities and addressing security concerns along the Lebanon-Israel border. ■
