Israel and Lebanon have agreed a preliminary framework in Washington aimed at reducing hostilities with Iran-backed Hezbollah, in what officials on both sides have described as an initial and highly tentative step rather than a comprehensive peace deal.
The agreement was signed at the US State Department by Lebanese ambassador Nada Moawad and Israel’s ambassador Yechiel Leiter, alongside US officials, though the document released contained few operational details and leaves much of the substance to future negotiation.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the arrangement would permit Israeli forces to maintain positions in southern Lebanon if Hezbollah failed to disarm, signalling that core security disputes remain unresolved.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the accord as “the first step” in a difficult but necessary process, stressing that Washington would oversee implementation through a new trilateral “Military Coordination Group for Lebanon”, involving Israel, Lebanon and the United States.
The United States Department of State also outlined plans for significant support, including an immediate $100 million in humanitarian assistance coordinated with the United Nations, and more than $30 million to strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces, framed as part of efforts to extend Lebanese state authority across its territory.
The initiative follows months of cross-border violence that escalated after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on 2 March, prompting retaliatory air and ground operations. The conflict has since caused extensive casualties in Lebanon, with more than 4,000 reported killed and over a million displaced, according to figures cited in the talks.
While Israeli and Lebanese officials have both cautiously welcomed the framework as a starting point, major questions remain over enforcement, disarmament requirements and Israel’s continued military posture in southern Israel, underlining how far the two sides remain from a durable settlement.