Full Israel-Lebanon Framework Ties Israeli Withdrawal to Hezbollah Disarmament

Israel and Lebanon have published the full text of the framework agreement signed in Washington on Friday night, confirming that the Israel Defense Forces will withdraw gradually from south Lebanon, but only after Hezbollah is disarmed. The deal, brokered by the United States, is intended to change the security reality on the northern border and, eventually, to open direct talks on a full peace agreement.

The text says Lebanese forces will progressively take responsibility in agreed pilot zones in southern Lebanon, including areas where the IDF had been deployed along the so-called yellow line. Only after the disarmament of "all non-state armed groups" in those areas will the Lebanese Armed Forces assume full security control there. The agreement also says Lebanon will work to strengthen its army and enforce state authority throughout the country, while future U.S. aid will depend on verified results and continuous oversight.

Israel says its activity in Lebanon has been driven solely by attacks and hostile threats from Hezbollah and other armed groups. It states that removing the threat, through disarmament and related security arrangements, will eliminate any need for future IDF action or presence in Lebanon. Israel also says it has "no territorial ambitions in Lebanon." Lebanon, for its part, says it alone holds the sovereign authority over war and peace and rejects any armed role by non-state actors without its explicit approval.

The framework calls for immediate, U.S.-mediated channels of dialogue and the creation of working groups to draft a full, comprehensive peace and security agreement. It also says the two sides will act in good faith toward a lasting peace, cooperate on locating missing persons and releasing detainees, and avoid hostile legal or political actions against each other in international forums. Both governments thanked President Donald Trump and the United States for backing the process.