Lebanese president warns Israeli blasts at Shaqif Castle threaten framework agreement

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has condemned the ongoing Israeli violations and attacks in southern Lebanon, describing them as a highly dangerous escalation that threatens stability and undermines ongoing diplomatic efforts to implement the framework agreement between both sides.

In a statement posted Friday on the official Lebanese presidency account on X, Aoun said that the explosions targeting infrastructure and UNESCO World Heritage sites caused severe damage in several southern Lebanese villages and affected the safety and security of residents.

He added that the massive explosions in the Shaqif Castle area, which triggered tremors measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale according to Lebanon's National Center for Geophysics, represent a "blatant violation of existing commitments" and threaten the process initiated under the framework agreement, to which Lebanon remains committed.

Aoun noted that the timing of these blasts, on the eve of the upcoming session in Rome to continue discussions on implementing the trilateral framework, sends negative signals and undermines international efforts to stabilize southern Lebanon. He called on sponsoring countries and the international community to intervene to stop violations that threaten progress in the diplomatic process.

Aoun's remarks came hours after Israeli forces carried out a series of large explosions around the historic Shaqif Castle in southern Lebanon. The National News Agency reported that the blasts, which occurred after midnight Thursday into Friday, were "extremely powerful" and echoed widely across the south, shattering windows in nearby towns.

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