Israel and Lebanon, under the auspices of the United States, signed a framework agreement on Friday that paves the way for a ceasefire on the Lebanese front.
The following are the main points of the agreement:
“Eternal peace”
Israel and Lebanon reaffirm their shared goal of establishing lasting peace and security.
The two countries declare their ambition to end the conflict between them (...) and establish good neighborly relations, and affirm the right of every state to exist in peace.
bilateral negotiations
Israel and Lebanon resolve their differences through direct bilateral negotiations, mediated and supported by the United States.
A “military coordination group” was formed by the two governments, with the participation of the United States, to oversee the implementation of the agreement.
Disarmament of Hezbollah and a gradual Israeli withdrawal
The agreement stipulates a path by which the Lebanese army will regain its effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory after verifying the disarmament of non-state armed groups and the dismantling of their associated infrastructure, which will allow the Israeli army to gradually withdraw from Lebanese territory, without naming the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government declares its rejection and the illegality of any claims that grant any party, whether affiliated with the state or not, the right to use force on its behalf without obtaining its explicit and public consent.
The Lebanese army deployed
The framework agreement stipulates that the Lebanese army will gradually regain control of the country's territory, starting with two "pilot zones." These zones will be determined in coordination with the Israeli army, which will gradually withdraw once the "non-state armed groups" have been disarmed and their infrastructure dismantled.
Other “experimental zones” will be identified later by mutual agreement.
Once the Lebanese army has established full control over these areas, reconstruction efforts supported by the international community will begin, and Lebanese civilians will be able to return safely to these areas under the exclusive authority of Lebanese state institutions.
Israel has no territorial ambitions
Israel maintains that its military operations in Lebanon are solely a response to attacks and threats posed by the hostile intentions of non-state armed groups, specifically Hezbollah. The elimination of this threat will remove any future need for Israeli military intervention or a military presence in Lebanon, and the Israeli government declares that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.
Reconstruction of Lebanon
In parallel, the United States is working to rally its international partners to provide effective support to the Lebanese government to rebuild the country, rehabilitate infrastructure, revive the economy, and create prospects for prosperity.
Lebanon is explicitly committed to preventing the diversion of funds allocated for reconstruction to non-state armed groups and associated entities.
