Lebanon and Israel have reached a framework agreement under which the Lebanese army will gradually assume full and effective security responsibility over two pilot zones, with the possibility of additional zones being added by mutual consent.
The Lebanese government emphasized that the deal aims to restore the state’s monopoly on the use of force and achieve the complete and verified disarmament of all non-state armed groups, implicitly referring to Hezbollah. Once the Lebanese army establishes effective sovereign authority nationwide and disarmament is verified, Israeli forces are expected to progressively redeploy from Lebanese territory.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the agreement as recognising Israel’s right to maintain a security zone inside Lebanon as needed and called it “a massive blow to Iran.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun expressed hope that the United States would help enforce the agreement and ensure Israel withdraws from occupied southern areas to allow the Lebanese army to deploy along the international borders.
Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem rejected the deal, which his group was excluded from, labeling it “humiliating, shameful, and a surrender of sovereignty.”
The agreement marks a significant step in Lebanon-Israel relations, though key domestic actors like Hezbollah remain opposed, highlighting the challenges of implementing security and territorial arrangements in the region.
Bd-pratidin English/TR
