Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Israel and Lebanon’s ambassadors to the U.S. Friday to announce a framework agreement that was described as a first step toward peace following months of conflict between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah,” the Associated Press reported.
Under the framework, which does not impose a timeline, Israel has agreed to a partial withdrawal in southern Lebanon, allowing the deployment of the Lebanese army in the areas previously controlled by Hezbollah and riddled with tunnels, bunkers, hidden missile launch sites, and other Iran-funded terrorist infrastructure. Subsequent Israeli troop withdrawals will depend on Lebanese security commitments. According to Israel’s Ynetnews, the agreement “establishes two pilot zones from which the IDF will withdraw and the Lebanese army will deploy in their place, one north of the Litani River and the other to its south.”
The deal marks a diplomatic breakthrough, with Lebanon effectively recognizing Israel for the first time. “The framework also includes mutual recognition of the two countries’ sovereignty,” the Israeli news website added.
CNBC reports:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that Israel and Lebanon had reached a framework agreement aimed at achieving “lasting peace and security.”The agreement, which came as a result of talks mediated by the United States, calls for the implementation of a ceasefire between the two nations.That ceasefire is contingent on a complete cessation of fire by the paramilitary group Hezbollah and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives from the South Litani Sector, an area in southern Lebanon. (…)“Today is a good day in that we are happy to announce a framework agreement between the sovereign government of Lebanon and, of course, the government of Israel, with a mediation and support of the United States of America that begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security,” Rubio said.“And that’s what these two nations deserve,” he said.The State Department, in a statement, said, “The two sides agreed with the guidance of the United States to swiftly advance the creation of pilot zones in which the Lebanese Armed Forces will take exclusive control of the territory to the exclusion of all non-state actors.”“These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement,” the State Department said.”
Despite today’s agreement, the Iranian proxy terrorist group Hezbollah continues to pose a threat to peace in the region. On Thursday night, four IDF soldiers were injured in a clash with Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.
“The talks face several challenges,” the Israeli TV channel i24NEWS noted. “Hezbollah has rejected Beirut’s participation in the Washington negotiations entirely, and Iran has sought to fold Lebanon into its broader interim deal with the US, under which both sides pledged to uphold Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The IDF responded by targeting Hezbollah’s fighters and weapons cache in the area. “The IDF will not allow the Hezbollah terrorist organization to harm Israeli civilians or IDF soldiers, and will continue to operate to remove threats,” the military assures.
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