A US-brokered framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon has opened a fresh diplomatic push to end years of cross-border conflict, with the proposed roadmap centred on restoring security, strengthening Lebanese sovereignty and dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure.
The agreement, signed in Washington on Friday with US mediation, also creates a new Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L) to oversee implementation. According to the US State Department, the framework is intended to establish a structured process for ending hostilities and enabling Israeli forces to return to their borders once security threats are addressed.
US says agreement lays foundation for lasting peace
Announcing the agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described it as the beginning of a long process rather than a final settlement.
“Today is a good day in that we are happy to announce the – a framework agreement between the sovereign Government of Lebanon and of course the Government of Israel, with the mediation and support of the United States of America, that begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security. And that’s what these two nations deserve,” Rubio said during the signing ceremony.
The State Department said the agreement seeks to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its military infrastructure. It added that the new Military Coordination Group would assist both governments in implementing the framework.
Separately, the US said it would provide USD 100 million in humanitarian assistance in coordination with the United Nations. Washington also said the Department of War was prepared to reimburse the Lebanese Armed Forces with more than USD 30 million under existing authorities to strengthen the country’s ability to establish sovereignty across its territory.
Rubio says difficult work lies ahead
Rubio acknowledged that implementation would be challenging but called the agreement an important first step.
“As I said today, as I told all the parties here today, it’s the beginning of the beginning. There is a lot of work ahead. We don’t in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead. But we understand the importance of it, how vital it is, and we are honoured to have played a part in bringing this together,” he said.
He also said Lebanon had suffered for decades because of outside interference and deserved peace and prosperity.
Referring to Israel’s security concerns, Rubio said residents of northern Israel had repeatedly faced attacks launched from Lebanese territory.
“The people of Israel deserve to live in peace and security – the people of northern Israel in particular, who have been targeted repeatedly by terrorist attacks launched from the territory of Lebanon,” he said.
According to additional details released by the US, the proposed ceasefire is contingent on Hezbollah ending all fire and withdrawing from southern Lebanon.
Lebanon and Israel call agreement a major milestone
Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad described the framework as the first step towards restoring Lebanese sovereignty and securing a permanent end to hostilities.
“This was a long and difficult meeting. We are grateful to the host and to the two delegations for their cooperation during these talks,” she said.
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said the agreement represented a significant shift in regional security.
“In this performance-based trilateral framework agreement, Iran is out, Hizballah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in,” he said.
Leiter also credited US mediation and thanked members of the Israel Defense Forces, saying their sacrifices had helped make the agreement possible.