Negotiators in Washington unveiled a framework aimed at halting cross-border fighting. Key details remain under wraps as parties prepare further consultations.
In Washington on June 26, a framework agreement on a ceasefire and pathways to peace between Israel and Lebanon, reached with the mediation of the United States after several days of negotiations, was signed.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized at the signing ceremony that the document would lay the foundation for durable peace and security in the region.
The agreement is to lay the foundation for a “durable peace and security” in the region.
– Marco Rubio
Negotiations and Key Provisions of the Agreement
The document was signed by Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamade, and Israel’s ambassador Yehiel Leiter. Official details have not been disclosed.
According to Axios and Times of Israel, the agreement calls for a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from the so-called buffer zone in southern Lebanon, which arose during fighting this year between Israeli forces and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah, which is designated a terrorist organization by both the United States and Israel.
It is reported that Israel will leave two sections of the buffer zone, which are planned to be occupied by Lebanese forces. In most of the zone, Israeli troops will remain for the near term.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israeli forces would maintain the “security zone” in southern Lebanon until the threat from Hezbollah is removed, i.e., the group is disarmed.
Negotiations between Lebanese and Israeli representatives had been ongoing since April, mediated by the United States; previously the parties had several times agreed to cease-fire.
It does not recognize the agreement and will not abide by it.
– Reuters
At the same time, a Hezbollah representative told Al-Mayadeen TV that the agreement is not recognized and will not be observed, Reuters reports. The group operates independently of the Lebanese authorities, considering itself part of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” coordinated by Iran.
During peace talks with the United States, Iran insisted on a ceasefire in Lebanon and, in particular, on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the country, calling this a condition of the agreement. However, last week Iran signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States, despite not fulfilling this requirement. Israel, for its part, says its actions are aimed at its own security, regardless of American deals with Iran. Such positions have led to sharp statements from the U.S. administration regarding Israel’s actions in Lebanon.
The parties’ efforts are intended to reduce tensions in the region and prevent new escalations, though the fate of Hezbollah’s disarmament and the status of the buffer zone remains the subject of further consultations between the sides and the United States.
In the long term, the agreement aims to stabilize the region’s situation and establish a mechanism for monitoring and enforcing the commitments, though implementation details are to be confirmed through separate consultations among the participants.