Lebanon, Israel, US sign trilateral framework agreement in Washington

WASHINGTON: Lebanon, Israel and the United States on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time Middle East adversaries.

The agreement — which officials said includes a pilot effort in which Lebanese soldiers will take control of two areas occupied by Israel, as well as a process aimed at disarming Hezbollah — is the result of five rounds of talks in the US capital.

The deal “begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security,” US secretary of state Marco Rubio said at the signing ceremony, while noting: “It’s the beginning of the beginning. There’s a lot of work ahead.”

Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, said the accord “is a first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent and final cessation of hostilities (and) enabling our people to go back to their land.”

And Israel’s envoy to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said that under the deal, “Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in.”

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire aimed at Israel to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes.

Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion, and its troops continue to occupy swaths of southern Lebanon, where they have been carrying out extensive demolition of homes and other buildings.

Despite the deal, Israel and its bitter enemy Hezbollah — which is part of the Lebanese government but also maintains a powerful armed wing outside state control — made clear that major differences remain.

‘Pilot areas’

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said earlier Friday that Israel has “no option but to withdraw completely from every inch of our Lebanese land,” and that its forces “must leave unconditionally.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu however said in a pre-recorded video shared with Israeli media shortly after the framework agreement was announced that Israel has no plans to exit Lebanon until Hezbollah gives up its weapons.

The text of the agreement was not released, but Netanyahu, Rubio and Lebanese authorities provided some details.

Netanyahu said his country’s military would allow the Lebanese army to take control of territory in “two pilot areas” — one south of Lebanon’s Litani River and another north of it.

That was confirmed by Lebanon’s embassy in Washington, which said in a statement that the deal also provides for the “disarmament of non-state armed groups” — a reference to Hezbollah.

Rubio meanwhile said in a statement that the agreement establishes a “clear and structured process” to disarm Hezbollah and its infrastructure, as well as a US-facilitated military working group to help implement the deal.

Washington’s top diplomat also said the United States would commit US$100 million in humanitarian assistance in coordination with the UN, and would reimburse Lebanon’s army for $30 million as it seeks to “improve the capability and capacity” of those forces.

Under US pressure, Lebanese and Israeli officials began direct talks in April in Washington, and a truce was announced on April 17 that ultimately failed to stop the fighting.

A new — but still extremely fragile — ceasefire was declared this month as Tehran insisted that Lebanon must be included in its deal with Washington to end the broader conflict launched by the United States and Israel in February.

The conflict has displaced more than one million Lebanese and left more than 4,200 dead, according to Lebanese authorities.