BEIRUT, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Saturday accused the Lebanese authorities of legitimizing Israel's occupation through a newly announced framework agreement with Israel, describing the deal as a "grave blunder" and a surrender of Lebanon's sovereignty.

In a statement, Qassem said the agreement granted Israel political concessions without securing a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, arguing that it effectively legitimizes the continued occupation of parts of southern Lebanon and could prolong it for years.

He criticized the agreement for linking an Israeli withdrawal to the disarmament of Hezbollah across Lebanon, calling the condition "extremely dangerous" and saying it crossed "all red lines."

Qassem argued that the framework agreement replaced what he described as stronger guarantees contained in an earlier U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU), which he claimed called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, guaranteed Lebanon's territorial integrity and sovereignty, and envisaged negotiations leading to a final agreement within 60 days.

Qassem said Hezbollah considered the framework agreement "null and void" and urged the Lebanese authorities to reverse course and instead implement what he described as the provisions of the U.S.-Iran MoU.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel and Lebanon have reached a U.S.-brokered framework agreement for "lasting peace and security."

The framework agreement, signed at the end of the latest round of ambassador-level talks in Washington, D.C. on Friday, called again for the implementation of a fragile ceasefire between the two Mideast nations. ■