BEIRUT, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), Lebanon and Israel signed a US-brokered framework agreement on Friday following a new round of direct negotiations held in Washington.
The agreement was signed by Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Mouawad and Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, in the presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Speaking after the signing, Lebanon’s ambassador described the agreement as “a first step toward restoring Lebanese sovereignty,” expressing hope that it would enable displaced Lebanese citizens to return to their land. She said the deal followed lengthy and difficult negotiations and praised the United States for its role in facilitating the talks.
Rubio described the agreement as an important first step after intensive negotiations between the two sides, saying it lays the foundation for “a framework for lasting peace and security.” He also expressed hope that the remaining negotiations would produce tangible progress toward a ceasefire and peace between Lebanon and Israel.
According to a Lebanese official cited by Al Jazeera, the two sides agreed on two pilot occupied areas from which Israeli forces will withdraw according to a phased timetable.
The negotiations are aimed at reinforcing the ceasefire in Lebanon under a US-drafted declaration of principles while opening discussions on implementing what Israel has described as “pilot zones.”
Israeli newspaper Haaretz previously reported that Israeli and Lebanese negotiating teams would determine which pilot areas would be transferred to the Lebanese Armed Forces, with the Israeli military expected to carry out a partial withdrawal from the so-called Yellow Line.
The latest round of US-mediated talks began on Tuesday against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire and repeated statements by Israeli officials rejecting a full withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
The negotiations follow an earlier series of direct US-brokered talks launched in April, as part of broader efforts to reach a peace agreement between Lebanon and Israel.
The latest discussions also came just days after talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland, where the conflict in Lebanon was among the key issues on the agenda.
The Lebanese delegation included both political and security representatives, while the Israeli side was represented by political and security officials, with the agreement formally signed by the two countries’ ambassadors in Washington.
