The United States, Israel, and Lebanon signed a trilateral framework agreement aimed at combating Hezbollah on Friday, after days of US-mediated talks in Washington.
According to a US State Department statement, the agreement outlines a structured process for disarming Hezbollah, dismantling terrorist infrastructure, and enabling the IDF to withdraw from Lebanon once the threat posed by Hezbollah is removed.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu affirmed that as of the signing of the agreement, Israel will “remain [in] the security zone in southern Lebanon” and coordinate the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area as the Lebanese army works to disarm Hezbollah and establish control over territory.
Under the deal negotiated in Washington, Israel agreed to withdraw from two areas that will be taken over by the Lebanese army as pilot zones where it will aim to implement plans to disarm Hezbollah.
The agreement also established a US-facilitated trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon to ensure the implementation of the framework.
A first step towards peace, prosperity, and mutual coexistence
“For Lebanon, this framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis,” according to the statement. “For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border.”
The two pilot zones are based on the IDF’s recommendation, said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a statement on Friday. “One is located south of the Litani River, and the other is north of the Litani in the expanded security zone,” he said.
The prime minister reaffirmed that the IDF will maintain the original security zone and emphasized Israel’s security priorities, stating, “And the most important thing is that Israel is saying: our security comes first.”
The IDF will retain full operational freedom throughout the security zone to eliminate threats of any kind, added a senior Israeli official, who was granted anonymity to discuss sensitive negotiations.
The US, according to the statement, will also take steps to improve the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces and support Lebanese military efforts against Hezbollah.
In addition, the US pledged to contribute $100 million for humanitarian assistance to be coordinated with the United Nations.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio commended Israeli and Lebanese leadership and delegations for their participation in the talks and for signing the agreement.
While Rubio noted that there is still much work ahead, he highlighted the importance of the framework and stated that the US is “honored to have played a part in bringing this together.”
“Today is the first step. This first step sometimes is the hardest one, but it’s an important one and the one we’ve taken together,” Rubio stated, adding that he hopes the agreement will bring about “a future of peace, a future of prosperity, a future of mutual coexistence.”
Framework agreement a 'major achievement for Israel,' Netanyahu says
During the signing of the agreements, Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter praised the trilateral cooperation as a “historical” move towards peace between Israel and Lebanon.
“In my opening remarks four days ago, I expressed concern that this train was running off the tracks, that Iran and its proxies wanted a trainwreck,” Leiter recounted.
He continued to describe that through the work of all involved with the negotiations, “we have put the train back on the tracks, and it’s running in the right direction,” towards “ real peace, where both countries will live in security; where Israel’s and Lebanon’s sovereignty will be respected, honored, and protected.”
Leiter added that “Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in.”
Netanyahu described the framework as “a major achievement for the State of Israel.”
He argued that the agreement is a severe blow to Iran, which, he said, is attempting to force the Israeli military’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
“In effect, Israel, Lebanon, and the US are sending a clear message to Iran: you have no foothold in Lebanon, neither you nor Hezbollah,” Netanyahu said.
Yair Golan, the leader of the Democrats party, criticized the agreement, saying that it will not disarm Hezbollah of its weapons.
“A terrorist organization does not disarm itself just because it’s written on paper,” he wrote on X/Twitter.
“Netanyahu is lying to the residents of the north. Security will not be achieved through lies and empty slogans. Security for the north will be achieved only by setting realistic goals: zero Hezbollah presence south of the Litani [River], zero long-range weapons south of the Awali [River], and the establishment of a new international force with real enforcement powers, which will operate together with the Lebanese army and Lebanese government to ensure that these goals are upheld.”