Israel and Lebanon Sign U.S.-Backed Framework as Rubio Calls It First Step to Peace
Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined Israeli and Lebanese diplomats in Washington to announce a U.S.-backed framework agreement described as a first step toward peace after months of conflict involving Hezbollah.
The agreement, signed by Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. and Lebanon’s ambassador to the U.S., creates a process aimed at restoring Lebanese sovereignty, dismantling Hezbollah’s infrastructure and setting conditions for Israel to return to its borders once security threats are removed, according to U.S. and wire-service accounts. The State Department also said the U.S. would help facilitate a Military Coordination Group for Lebanon.
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But the agreement faces an immediate obstacle: Hezbollah is not a party to the deal and rejected it as a surrender to Israel. Reuters reported that Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem called the agreement “null and void” and criticized provisions tying Israeli withdrawal to Hezbollah disarmament.
Online reaction quickly split between “peace framework” amplification and warnings that implementation could deepen Lebanon’s internal political crisis.
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