Israel, Lebanon Sign U.S.-Backed Framework Agreement Toward Peace

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief

(Worthy News) – Israel and Lebanon signed a U.S.-backed framework agreement Friday in Washington, a move officials described as a first step toward ending months of conflict along Israel’s northern border and opening the door to a broader peace settlement.

The agreement was announced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and signed by Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad.

Officials did not immediately release the full text, but Israeli sources said the framework is aimed at changing the security reality in southern Lebanon by removing Iranian influence, disarming Hezbollah, and restoring Lebanese sovereignty.

Rubio said both countries deserved peace after years of suffering caused by outside interference.

Lebanon’s ambassador called the framework “a first step” toward restoring sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a final cessation of hostilities, and allowing Lebanese citizens to return to their land in peace.

Leiter said the goal is “real peace” between Israel and Lebanon, with both nations living securely and respecting one another’s sovereignty.

“In this performance-based trilateral framework agreement, Iran is out. Hezbollah is out. And the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in,” Leiter said.

Under the framework, Israel is expected to maintain its presence inside the Yellow Line security zone until Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations in Lebanon are disarmed and Lebanon can prove it is able to control its own territory.

Israeli officials said the agreement also includes a pilot program in which the Israel Defense Forces would withdraw from limited areas in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese Armed Forces moving in to replace them. U.S. military personnel are expected to assist Lebanese forces during the initial phase.

A senior Israeli diplomatic official called the agreement “a major achievement for Israel,” saying it rejects Iran’s attempt to force a unilateral Israeli withdrawal while Hezbollah remains a threat.

The agreement does not amount to a final peace treaty, but officials from the United States, Israel, and Lebanon presented it as a serious first step toward ending hostilities and reshaping security along one of the Middle East’s most volatile borders.

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