Israel, Lebanon, and United States sign historic framework agreement in Washington

The preliminary accord conditions Israeli military withdrawal on Hezbollah's disarmament, triggering massive public protests across Lebanon.

A framework agreement has been signed in Washington between Israel, Lebanon, and the United States to serve as an initial step towards reducing intense regional tensions.

Under the terms of the US-mediated accord, the Lebanese army will gradually restore its structure and security across the entire country. The agreement explicitly mandates the total disarmament of non-state armed groups, with a primary focus on Hezbollah.

The withdrawal of the Israeli army from occupied Lebanese territories will occur in strictly monitored stages. This withdrawal is entirely conditional upon the formal confirmation that the disarmament process has been successfully executed.

The agreement has designated two initial areas within southern Lebanon to serve as pilot zones. In these specific sectors, the Lebanese army will assume full security responsibility, allowing local reconstruction to begin and paving the way for the safe return of displaced citizens.

The announcement has sparked massive protests throughout Lebanon from citizens opposing the deal with Israel.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the framework as a crucial first step. He stated that Washington’s ultimate goals are to fully restore Lebanon’s state sovereignty, eliminate Hezbollah’s military capability, and ensure long-term border security for Israel.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that his government’s primary objective remains the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from all Lebanese territories. However, he acknowledged that under the current text, any military pullback remains strictly tied to Hezbollah surrendering its weapons.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reinforced this condition. He made it clear that the Israeli military will not execute a full withdrawal from Lebanon as long as Hezbollah remains armed and continues to pose a security threat to Israel.

Hezbollah did not participate in the Washington negotiations and was completely absent from the agreement.

The organisation maintains that Israel must exit Lebanese territory immediately without any pre-conditions. Furthermore, Hezbollah leadership has flatly rejected any form of diplomatic normalisation with Israel.

Although the framework represents an active diplomatic attempt to de-escalate the conflict, the path to a lasting peace remains highly volatile due to ongoing Israeli military operations, the continued occupation of southern Lebanon, and Hezbollah’s unyielding stance.