Israel, Lebanon and the United States signed a trilateral framework agreement in Washington on Friday that sets out a sequenced process for the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to assume security control over southern Lebanon, contingent on the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups, principally Hezbollah. The text, released by the US State Department, declares the two neighbours’ intent to “conclusively end the conflict” and “formally conclude any state of war between them”. It provides for the LAF to gradually take full security responsibility in initial pilot zones, enabling the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to redeploy in phases, while a US-facilitated military coordination group will oversee implementation. Washington also announced $100 million in humanitarian assistance and $30 million in reimbursements to bolster the Lebanese army’s capacity.

Viewed from Jerusalem, the framework codifies a security architecture that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as preserving an expanded security zone beyond the Litani River. Israeli officials stressed that the IDF will not withdraw until Hezbollah’s weapons are removed, and the agreement explicitly states that Israel’s military actions in Lebanon were “solely a consequence” of attacks by non-state armed groups. The Israeli ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, characterised the deal as sidelining Iran and its proxy, while the government reiterated it harbours no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.

In Beirut, the government of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam presented the accord as a first step toward restoring full sovereignty and enabling displaced civilians to return. The Lebanese ambassador, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, said it would secure a “permanent and final cessation of hostilities”. However, Hezbollah, which is not a party to the agreement, immediately rejected it. The group’s parliamentary representative, Hassan Fadlallah, warned that implementing the US-backed framework would lead Lebanon toward civil war, and Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem demanded an unconditional Israeli withdrawal. Iranian state-aligned media described the text as a plan to disarm Hezbollah and eliminate the “resistance” in the south, while Tehran itself had yet to issue an official reaction.

The agreement is the product of five rounds of direct talks in Washington, convened after a fragile ceasefire failed to halt months of hostilities that erupted when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel on 2 March to avenge the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. The conflict has displaced over one million Lebanese and left more than 4,200 dead, according to Lebanese authorities. The framework now moves to working groups tasked with drafting a comprehensive peace and security agreement, while the pilot zones will serve as the initial test of the disarmament and redeployment mechanism. European diplomats, prior to the signing, had signalled readiness to support implementation, though the process remains contingent on Hezbollah’s compliance and the stability of the broader US-Iran diplomatic track.