After Israel-Lebanon deal, can Lebanon win back its Shiite community?

On June 26, 2026, Israel and Lebanon signed a U.S.-brokered framework agreement aimed at ending confrontation and restoring Lebanese sovereignty. The agreement outlines a gradual Israeli withdrawal, Hezbollah's disarmament, and the transfer of security responsibility to the Lebanese army. However, the article questions whether this agreement will reintegrate the Shiite community into the Lebanese state or deepen their alienation, especially since reconstruction efforts are conditional on disarmament and security progress.

Lebanese Shiite journalist Mohammad Barakat, one of Hezbollah’s prominent critics, views the agreement as a wake-up call for the Shiite community.

The agreement's major gap lies in the lack of a concrete reconstruction plan, particularly given Lebanon's economic collapse. If the state fails to provide practical security, aid, and reconstruction, it risks leaving the Shiite public vulnerable and potentially strengthening Hezbollah's narrative that the state has abandoned them. The true test of the agreement is not just disarming Hezbollah, but who will effectively fill the resulting vacuum by providing tangible support and rebuilding efforts.