Israel, Lebanon, and U.S. Sign Framework Deal Tied to Hezbollah Disarmament

Israeli officials stressed that any withdrawal would depend on performance, not deadlines. A senior political source said Israel would remain in the security buffer zone “as long as Hezbollah and the other terrorist organizations in Lebanon are not disarmed and no longer pose a threat to the State of Israel.” He added that the IDF would keep full freedom of action in the zone, and that withdrawals would happen only under a performance-based model. That marks a major change from previous Lebanon arrangements, which relied on fixed timetables. This time, Israel insisted on the reverse sequence, disarm Hezbollah first, then withdraw gradually.

Under the understandings, two pilot areas will be established, one south of the Litani River and outside the Blue Line, and another north of the Litani. In those areas, the IDF will vacate territory so the Lebanese army can prove it can take control, prevent Hezbollah’s return, and exercise full sovereignty. If the model works, it will be expanded to additional areas. Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, called it a “performance-based” agreement, saying, “The faster areas are removed from Hezbollah’s influence, the faster the pace of our withdrawal will be.” He added, “Iran is out, Hezbollah is on its way out, and the Lebanese army is on its way in.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the agreement was a “big blow to Iran,” adding that Iran had tried to force an Israeli unilateral withdrawal from southern Lebanon and was told by Israel, Lebanon, and the United States that it has “no role in Lebanon.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio took a more optimistic tone, saying, “The first step is often the hardest, but it is also the most important,” and said the goal was to give both peoples “a future of peace, prosperity and coexistence.” Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called it a “first step toward restoring the state’s sovereignty over all its territory,” and vowed to continue until there was no “occupation, dependence or guardianship.”