Israel and Lebanon sign historic, US-backed framework agreement in Washington aimed at removing Iranian influence and disarming Hezbollah.
Israel and Lebanon on Friday afternoon signed a historic framework agreement. The agreement was signed in Washington in a special ceremony attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The agreement was signed by Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad. Speaking before the signing ceremony, Rubio said, “We are pleased to announce the agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Both countries deserve it after years of suffering caused by external interference," he stated.
Israeli officials said earlier that a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon would be announced after four days of negotiations in Washington. Channel 12 News reported that the emerging Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes the conditions for shifting the security reality on the northern border, with the primary objective for both sides being the complete removal of Iranian influence from Lebanon.
The agreement stipulates that Israel will remain within the Yellow Line zone until the Hezbollah terrorist organization is fully disarmed, and until it is proven that Lebanon can assume full sovereignty and responsibility over its own territory. "We will withdraw from the territory we have taken only if Hezbollah ceases to be a factor in the entire country," a senior Israeli official told Channel 12 News. "We retain the freedom to respond to any threat that arises."
The same official added that Israel is working to solidify international recognition for its presence in the area as long as a threat persists along the border. The agreement is expected to include a pilot program which would see the IDF withdrawing from a limited sector it currently holds in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) moving in to replace the Israeli soldiers. (Read More)
