IRIA News

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Israel and Lebanon signed a U.S.-brokered framework agreement on June 26, 2026, aimed at reducing tensions along their shared border and creating a pathway toward restoring stability in southern Lebanon.

While officials from all three countries described the agreement as an important breakthrough, they also acknowledged that significant challenges remain before a lasting peace can be achieved.

The agreement was signed in Washington after months of direct negotiations mediated by the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the deal “the beginning of the beginning,” emphasizing that the signing marks only the first stage of a much longer process.

“Today we’ve taken the first step in what will be a difficult journey, without a doubt, but an important and an essential and a necessary one,” Rubio said during the signing ceremony.

The framework establishes a phased process intended to strengthen Lebanese state authority, reduce armed activity by non-state groups, and eventually allow Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied areas in southern Lebanon under agreed conditions.

The U.S. is proud to be a part of today’s historic trilateral framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

There is more work to be done, but we’re taking meaningful steps toward a future of peace, prosperity, and mutual coexistence. pic.twitter.com/68IAWgjn4b

— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) June 26, 2026

Separately, the U.S. and Iran continue fighting after agreeing to a 60-day roadmap to reach a comprehensive settlement and establish new mechanisms to address tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iran’s ​Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) statement, Iran targeted U.S. military positions in ​the region in ​response to a fresh ⁠U.S. strike.

Framework as Phased Security Process

According to the agreement, the Lebanese Armed Forces will gradually restore full state authority across Lebanese territory while overseeing the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and the dismantling of their military infrastructure.

The plan also establishes a trilateral Military Coordination Group involving the United States, Israel, and Lebanon to oversee implementation, coordinate security measures, and monitor progress.

The agreement begins with two pilot zones where the Lebanese army will gradually assume security responsibility. Once authorities verify that armed groups have been disarmed and their infrastructure dismantled, reconstruction efforts are expected to begin, allowing displaced civilians to return safely under the authority of the Lebanese government.

The United States also announced additional support for Lebanon, including humanitarian assistance and funding to strengthen the capabilities of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Israeli Withdrawal Linked to Hezbollah Disarmament

While Lebanese officials said the agreement seeks Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, the framework does not require an immediate Israeli pullout.

Instead, Israeli redeployment will take place gradually and only after agreed security conditions have been met. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah is disarmed.

“The most important thing is that first of all, Israel remains in the security zone in southern Lebanon … we maintain it as long as Hezbollah has not disarmed,” Netanyahu said.

He added that implementation would begin through two pilot withdrawal areas, with additional withdrawals depending on developments on the ground.

Israeli officials have also maintained that the security zone is necessary to protect communities in northern Israel from future attacks.

Path to Sovereignty

Lebanese leaders described the agreement as an opportunity to restore state control over all Lebanese territory.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the framework aims to achieve Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanese land while reinforcing the authority of the Lebanese state and military.

President Joseph Aoun described the agreement as “the first step on the path towards Lebanon restoring its sovereignty over all its territory.”

He also said it represents “the beginning of the path for displaced people to return to their liberated towns under the sovereignty of the Lebanese state.”

Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh, who signed the agreement on behalf of Lebanon, called it “a first step” toward restoring Lebanese sovereignty, securing a permanent end to hostilities, and allowing displaced citizens to return home.

Hezbollah Rejects Key Provisions

Despite the diplomatic breakthrough, Hezbollah was not part of the negotiations and has strongly opposed the agreement’s central provisions.

The group insists that Israeli forces must withdraw from Lebanon unconditionally before any discussion of disarmament can take place.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem has rejected any normalization with Israel, while senior Hezbollah official Hassan Fadlallah warned that attempts to enforce the agreement by disarming the group could trigger internal conflict.

The framework’s requirement that non-state armed groups be disarmed before Israeli withdrawal is therefore expected to remain one of the agreement’s biggest obstacles.

Fighting Continues

Although the agreement seeks to reduce hostilities, violence has continued in southern Lebanon. Israeli airstrikes were reported in several locations on the day the framework was signed, including attacks near Mayfadoun and Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

Israeli forces also dropped leaflets over the town of al-Mansouri, urging residents to leave the area, describing it as part of an active security zone.

Israel says its operations are aimed at preventing Hezbollah from rebuilding military positions near the border. Lebanese officials, however, continue to accuse Israel of maintaining its military occupation and carrying out strikes despite previous ceasefire understandings.

The conflict has caused widespread destruction across southern Lebanon, with thousands reported killed and more than one million people displaced since the fighting intensified.

While the signing represents the first direct framework agreed by both sides under U.S. mediation, officials acknowledged that the agreement alone will not resolve decades of conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

Israel and Lebanon have technically remained in a state of war since 1948, and repeated conflicts have shaped relations between the two countries for decades.

The success of the framework will largely depend on whether its security provisions can be implemented, whether Israeli withdrawals take place as planned, and whether Lebanon can extend full state authority across the south.

For now, officials on all sides have described the agreement as an important opening rather than a final settlement, with negotiations and implementation expected to continue in the coming months.