Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others watch, seated from left, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States Yehiel Leiter, Counselor Dan Holer, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh, sign a framework agreement (Photo/AP)
Israel, Lebanon and the United States signed a tripartite framework agreement aimed at easing tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border, marking what officials described as the first step toward a broader peace agreement after months of fighting involving Hezbollah.The agreement comes after four days of negotiations in Washington and comes days after the start of a 60-day ceasefire. Under this framework, Israel will withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese Armed Forces taking control of those sites as part of a trial security arrangement, CNN reported.The framework agreement was signed by Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh, and US State Department Chief of Staff Dan Holler.Speaking during the signing ceremony, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the agreement as an important breakthrough but warned that significant challenges remain.“Today is the beginning of the beginning,” Rubio said. “We have a lot of work ahead of us. We do not in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead of us. But we recognize its importance and how vital it is. We are honored to play a role in bringing this together.”
He added that the agreement provides hope for both countries after years of conflict.“The people of Lebanon and Israel deserve to live in peace and security, but they have long suffered from conflict.
What they deserve is what they once enjoyed: a prosperous and peaceful country. We believe that today is the first step on that journey.”Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamada Moawad, described the agreement as an important milestone towards restoring the country’s sovereignty.She added, “The framework is a first step on the path to restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, ensuring a permanent and final cessation of hostilities, enabling our people to return to their land and allowing all Lebanese to live in peace, security and prosperity.”Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yehiel Leiter also described the agreement as the beginning of a long-term peace process.“The ultimate destination of the framework is peace between the two countries. A true peace, where both countries will live in security, where the sovereignty of Israel and Lebanon will be respected, honored and protected. In this tripartite performance-based framework agreement, Iran is out and Hezbollah is out.
“The path to peace between Israel and Lebanon has begun,” Leiter said.
What does the agreement include?
According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel will withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon that the Israeli army no longer considers strategically necessary.One of the two areas is located north of the Litani River, while the other is located south of the river within the territory currently occupied by Israeli forces.
The Lebanese Armed Forces will deploy in these areas under a pilot program agreed upon as part of the latest ceasefire framework.Israeli officials said the redeployment is linked to efforts to remove Hezbollah’s military infrastructure from southern Lebanon, with further withdrawals expected only if security conditions improve.In a televised speech after the signing, Netanyahu described the agreement as a security achievement for Israel and a setback for Iran.“This is also a big blow to Iran,” he said.He added, “Iran is trying to force us to withdraw from southern Lebanon by force.”
In fact, Israel, Lebanon and the United States are telling them: This is none of your business.”Netanyahu also said that Israel will continue to maintain its military presence in parts of southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.Separately, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israel and Lebanon agreed on a pilot project under which the Lebanese army would gradually assume control of selected areas after removing Hezbollah’s military presence.
Hezbollah rejects this framework
Hezbollah did not participate in the Washington negotiations and quickly rejected the agreement.Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah criticized the deal, saying it amounted to unilateral concessions on the part of the Lebanese government.He added, “The path taken by the Lebanese authorities amounts to unilateral and unjustified concessions that will only undermine the country and serve the interests of the Israeli enemy.”He warned that the agreement “risks creating dangerous internal divisions” within Lebanon.The latest conflict began after Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel shortly after the Israeli-US military campaign against Iran earlier this year. Since then, thousands have been killed in Lebanon, while dozens of Israeli soldiers have been killed during the fighting. Both Israel and Lebanon have repeatedly announced that a permanent ceasefire will depend on resolving the issue of Hezbollah’s armed presence in southern Lebanon.
