Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Friday that Israeli forces will continue to maintain a military presence in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is fully disarmed, despite the signing of a United States-backed trilateral framework designed to end hostilities and pave the way for a broader peace agreement.
“The most important thing is, first of all, that Israel remains in the security zone in southern Lebanon. This is a major achievement, and we will maintain it as long as Hezbollah has not disarmed,” Netanyahu said in a pre-recorded video released shortly after the agreement was signed in Washington.
Phased Security Plan
The framework, signed by Israel, Lebanon and the United States, outlines a phased and conditions-based roadmap intended to end decades of conflict.
Under the agreement, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) will gradually assume control of Lebanese territory following the verified disarmament of Hezbollah and other non-state armed groups. In return, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will progressively redeploy from Lebanese territory through a series of agreed pilot zones.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the agreement as an important first step toward a lasting peace.
“Today is the beginning of the beginning,” Rubio said after the signing ceremony. “There’s a lot of work ahead. We don’t, in any way, underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead. But we understand the importance of it, how vital it is.”
Pilot Zones to Begin
Netanyahu said Israel would initially implement two pilot areas where the Lebanese military would assume control over territory the Israeli army no longer considers strategically necessary.
“One is entirely outside the security zone and south of the Litani River, while the other is north of the Litani,” he said.
The agreement does not disclose the locations of the two pilot zones. It states only that the IDF and the LAF have agreed on two initial areas where Israeli redeployment will occur once the disarmament of non-state armed groups and the dismantling of their military infrastructure have been independently verified.
Security Zone to Remain
Netanyahu stressed that the pilot withdrawals would not alter Israel’s broader security strategy in southern Lebanon.
“We are maintaining the original security zone at all times, outside the range of anti-tank fire. We are not allowing Hezbollah to enter it, nor are we allowing the civilian population to enter,” he said.
Terms of the Agreement
The framework requires Lebanon to restore full state authority across its territory, establish an exclusive state monopoly over the use of force, and ensure the complete and verified disarmament of all non-state armed groups, particularly Hezbollah.
In return, Israel has committed to a phased withdrawal from Lebanese territory once agreed security benchmarks are met. The agreement also states that Israel has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon and that the elimination of Hezbollah’s military threat would remove the need for any future Israeli military presence.
The deal also provides for the creation of a military coordination mechanism involving the United States, international support for reconstruction in areas returned to Lebanese control, and the launch of direct negotiations toward a comprehensive peace and security agreement.
Lebanese Leadership Welcomes Accord
Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, described the agreement as “the first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked the Trump administration for facilitating the negotiations, saying the framework would allow Lebanese citizens to “return to their fully liberated land” under the authority of a sovereign Lebanese state.
Hezbollah Rejects Negotiations
Hezbollah strongly criticised the agreement. Hassan Fadallah, a Hezbollah member of Lebanon’s parliament, condemned the negotiations and called on the Lebanese government to abandon the process.
Speaking to the pro-Hezbollah Al-Mayadeen television network, Fadallah said, “Whoever shakes hands with the enemy is a criminal like them.”
US to Support Reconstruction
The agreement follows five rounds of US-mediated negotiations in Washington after months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Previous ceasefire efforts, including a truce announced in April, failed to bring a lasting end to the conflict.
As part of the framework, the United States has pledged to mobilise international assistance for Lebanon’s reconstruction, economic recovery and humanitarian needs. Future US military assistance to Lebanon will be tied to verified progress in disarming non-state armed groups and restoring full government control throughout the country.
