Israel Condemns United States-Iran Peace Accord Brokered by Pakistan

A profound sense of anger and disillusionment has gripped the political and military establishment in Israel following the late-night announcement on Sunday that a comprehensive peace agreement has been brokered between the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran. The diplomatic breakthrough, formally announced by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, aims to establish an immediate and permanent cessation of hostilities across all active military fronts, including Lebanon.

Writing on his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Prime Minister Sharif confirmed that the bilateral accord was achieved following extensive mediation by Pakistan, a process initiated after a joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran commenced in February. Sharif extended formal appreciation to Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia for their administrative and diplomatic support in facilitating the dialogue, adding that the treaty is scheduled to be officially signed this coming Friday in Switzerland.

Following the Pakistani announcement, both Washington and Tehran verified the development. US President Donald Trump declared the agreement “complete” during an Oval Office presentation, whilst Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that a definitive framework would be executed within the next 60 days, incorporating the release of approximately 24 billion dollars in frozen Iranian assets.

Absolute Rejection by the Israeli Cabinet

Despite the multi-lateral consensus, senior Israeli officials have directly rejected the stipulations of the text. Israeli media outlet Ynet reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though avoiding public broadcasts on the matter, privately communicated to President Trump that Israel does not consider itself bound by the treaty, particularly rejecting any Iranian-negotiated terms regarding the Lebanese theatre.

This policy of non-compliance was reinforced by Defence Minister Israel Katz, who announced that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would maintain an open-ended presence in designated security zones within Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip. Katz added that civilians would be systematically cleared from these zones to allow for the structural demolition of residential properties, which he categorized as “terrorist infrastructure.” Simultaneously, the IDF carried out a series of intensive aerial bombardments across southern Lebanon on Monday.

Far-right members of Netanyahu’s governing coalition issued severe public rebukes of the American administration’s diplomatic shift:

• Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich: Denounced the accord on social media as “detrimental to Israel and the entire free world,” asserting that the state must now prosecute its military campaigns against Iranian interests entirely alone.

• National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir: Declared that the Trump administration’s parameters carry no legal weight in Tel Aviv. “Israel is not a vassal state of the United States; we are an independent and sovereign nation,” Ben-Gvir stated, adding that the country is no “banana republic.”

• Culture Minister Miki Zohar: Warned that the government remains single-mindedly focused on preventing Iran from acquiring operational nuclear weapons, promising an uncompromised military strike that would force the Iranian leadership to bow their heads.

Domestic Political Backlash and Allegations of Betrayal

While cabinet ministers directed their formal complaints toward the text of the treaty rather than the American president, conservative media figures and opposition politicians launched severe attacks against both Trump and Netanyahu.

Yinon Magal, a prominent journalist for Channel 14 News widely viewed as a media surrogate for the Prime Minister, stated on X that Israel had been abandoned by its primary ally. Magal used deeply derogatory, antisemitic terms to attack US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, whilst labelling Trump a defeated figure and Vice-President JD Vance a detestable individual. His colleague, Shimon Riklin, argued that Israel must aggressively assert its sovereignty to remind a “treacherous America” of its strategic boundaries.

Concurrently, the Israel Defense and Security Forum (IDSF) issued an institutional advisory warning that any diplomatic compromise with Tehran was fundamentally flawed, urging the military to prepare for imminent escalations.

The diplomatic development has also altered the internal political landscape, allowing opposition leaders to attack Netanyahu’s long-term defense policies. Yair Golan, leader of the centrist party The Democrats, characterised Netanyahu as an isolated and ineffective leader, noting that the deal permits Tehran to reclaim billions in frozen revenue while leaving its ballistic missile and nuclear architecture entirely intact.

Former Chief of General Staff Gadi Eisenkot remarked that the accord left Israel’s core security concerns completely unresolved, describing the protracted conflict following the 7 October disaster as the consequence of an incompetent administration. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett similarly criticised the cabinet’s strategic stagnation, pledging to replace the incumbent government in the next electoral cycle with a definitive plan to dismantle the Iranian political administration.

Strategic Positions on the US-Iran Peace Treaty