Lebanon-Israel deal could block war crimes accountability, experts warn

Lebanon-Israel deal could block war crimes accountability, experts warn A framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel has drawn warnings that a clause in the deal could effectively shield Israel from accountability for war crimes. Article 13 of the 14-point trilateral framework, signed on 26 June, commits Israel and Lebanon to "take good faith measures that demonstrate positive intent, including the cessation of all hostile or adverse actions in international political or legal fora." The provision has raised alarm among Lebanese human rights and legal experts. "The violations committed in Lebanon give the Lebanese state and people the right to seek reparations," Halima Kaakour, a Lebanese MP who is also an international law expert and human rights advocate, told Middle East Eye. "This provision disregards that right and deprives the Lebanese people of justice. The right to justice is more important than any agreement," she said. Read more: Lebanon-Israel deal could block war crimes accountability, experts warn A woman fills a jerrycan with water as she sits among the rubble of a house, which was damaged by an Israeli strike, in Qlaileh in the Tyre district, southern Lebanon, 19 June 2026 (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)