Mideast Peace Initiative
Lebanon and Israel Sign Landmark US-Brokered Framework to End Decades of Conflict
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Key Points
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The 14-point framework was signed in Washington in triplicate and written in English, signaling formal, international documentation of the agreement.
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The 14 points explicitly call to address root causes of the conflict and to end the state of war irreversibly, with Israel and Lebanon committing to resolve issues as sovereign states through direct bilateral negotiations with U.S. mediation.
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Hezbollah representatives in Lebanon’s parliament described the framework as a 'mistake,' signaling continued strong domestic opposition even if the agreement is signed.
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Israeli envoy Yechiel Leiter stated that 'Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in,' highlighting a perceived regional realignment tied to the framework.
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U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the signing 'an important beginning rather than a final solution,' emphasizing that the process will be gradual and require sustained diplomacy.
Israel and Lebanon signed a 14-point framework agreement in Washington on June 26, 2026, marking the first formal step toward ending decades of conflict between the two countries. Post and Courier reported the deal was signed in triplicate, in English, by the ambassadors of both nations and witnessed by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The signing came after five rounds of talks over three months, capped by a grueling four-day final session.
Rubio called it "the beginning of the beginning" rather than a final solution, warning of a "difficult journey" still ahead. Within hours, Hezbollah lawmakers called the deal a "mistake," and Iran's Revolutionary Guard launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. military sites in the Gulf, according to Egypt Independent.
Israeli Troops Pull Back From Two Pilot Zones
The framework's most immediate commitment is Israel withdrawing from two specific "pilot areas" in southern Lebanon. As Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) move in, all non-state armed groups — a direct reference to Hezbollah — must be disarmed and their infrastructure dismantled. SANA reported that the LAF deployment will follow directly behind each Israeli withdrawal step.
Israel will also retain a 10-kilometer "security zone" along what the document calls the "yellow line" until the LAF proves it can control the border. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed this as a "great achievement" — Israel keeps a buffer and only fully leaves when Hezbollah is gone. Israeli military analysts warn the IDF could remain in Lebanon for years.
A Four-Month War Pushed Both Sides to the Table
The conflict that forced this deal began on March 2, 2026, when Hezbollah launched a large-scale attack on Israel in support of Iran after a joint U.S.-Israeli strike on Iranian territory. The fighting killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced over 1.2 million civilians, according to Il Sole 24 Ore.
A U.S.-mediated 10-day truce on April 16 opened the first round of Washington talks. The ceasefire was extended twice — first 21 days, then 45 days — as negotiations stalled. Major Israeli strikes hit the Lebanese city of Nabatieh as recently as June 15, just days before the final signing session began.
Hezbollah Calls It Sedition, Lebanon's Streets Erupt
Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah warned that enforcing the deal without the group's approval could trigger a "civil war" in Lebanon. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri went further, labeling the agreement "fitna" — an Arabic word meaning sedition or dangerous internal strife. Il Sole 24 Ore noted that Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc described the signing as a formal mistake.
Protesters in Beirut burned tires and blocked roads within hours of the signing, accusing the Lebanese government of "legalizing occupation." Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh said she fought "like a lioness" during the four days of talks, and called the deal a "milestone" for restoring Lebanon's territorial integrity — a view sharply disputed at home.
$130 Million in U.S. Aid Backs the New Security Structure
The United States is putting real money behind the deal. Washington committed $100 million in humanitarian aid coordinated with the UN, plus $30 million in direct reimbursement to the Lebanese Armed Forces for capacity building, according to Post and Courier. A new body called the Trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon — or MCG4L — will oversee security commitments from all three sides.
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter framed the deal in stark regional terms: "Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in." UN Relief Chief Tom Fletcher took a different view, calling it a "moment of hope" for the 1.2 million displaced civilians waiting to return home, according to SANA.
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