Lebanon and Israel have inked a framework agreement aimed at ending the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah following several days of US-mediated talks, media reports said on Saturday.
The agreement was signed in Washington on Friday and was described by US officials as the “first step” towards achieving lasting peace, Al Jazeera reported.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during the signing ceremony: “There’s a lot of work ahead. We do not in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead, but we understand its importance and how vital it is.”
Rubio said the agreement provides a framework for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
He added: “It also establishes a trilateral military coordination group for Lebanon, allowing both sides to implement this framework.”
Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam wrote on social media that the agreement was intended to secure Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese territory.
He said the agreement essentially builds on previous agreements and United Nations resolutions, which affirm that the Lebanese Army has authority throughout the country.
However, the BBC reported that, under the 14-point agreement, Lebanon and Israel reaffirmed their right to “live in peace” and expressed their mutual desire to live in security as two independent neighbouring states.
The two sides also pledged to halt hostile actions against each other in international political and legal forums and to work towards the release of detainees and the return of the remains of those still unaccounted for.
Hezbollah is not a party to the agreement and has not yet commented on it.
kk
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