WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States, Israel and Lebanon announced Friday that they have signed a framework agreement aimed at ending months of fighting along the Israeli-Lebanese border, marking what officials described as the first step toward a permanent ceasefire and a broader peace agreement. The announcement came as Hezbollah rejected the direct negotiations, insisting that Israel must withdraw from Lebanese territory without conditions.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, joined by Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh, unveiled the agreement in Washington. Although officials declined to release the full text of the framework, they said it establishes a roadmap toward restoring stability in southern Lebanon and eventually achieving peace between the two neighboring countries.

Hamadeh described the agreement as “a first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent and final cessation of hostilities, enabling our people to return to their land and allowing all Lebanese to live in peace, security and prosperity.”

Leiter said the agreement envisions “real peace” between Israel and Lebanon, adding that it is designed to remove both Iran and Hezbollah from the equation.

Hezbollah is represented in the Lebanese government by two cabinet ministers and holds 15 seats in the Lebanese Parliament. It remains the country’s most powerful political and military organization.

“In this performance-based trilateral framework agreement, Iran is out. Hezbollah is out. And the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in,” Leiter said.

Pilot plan under discussion

The agreement follows several rounds of U.S.-mediated negotiations in Washington that have focused on a proposed “pilot plan” for southern Lebanon.

According to Israeli media reports, the proposal would involve a phased Israeli military withdrawal from selected areas in southern Lebanon, followed by the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and the dismantling of Hezbollah’s military infrastructure in those areas.

However, significant differences remain over how the plan would be implemented.

Lebanon and the United States reportedly favor beginning the withdrawal in areas currently occupied by Israeli forces, while Israel wants to first test the Lebanese army’s ability to prevent Hezbollah from re-establishing its presence in areas not under Israeli occupation and control.

Earlier this week, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun confirmed that the proposal for “pilot zones” remains under discussion and is awaiting Israeli approval.

Lebanese officials have repeatedly stated that a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon remains their top priority, while Israel continues to insist that Hezbollah must first be disarmed.

Hezbollah rejects negotiations

Hours after the framework agreement was announced, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected the negotiations, declaring that Israel must withdraw from all Lebanese territory without conditions.

“Israel must leave without conditions, and any commitment against Lebanon’s sovereignty will not pass,” Qassem said during a televised address. “No one has the right to sign anything.”

He also urged Lebanon’s political leadership to present a unified national position and reject what he described as Israeli demands.

“There will be no normalization, no end to hostility on Israel’s terms, no gains for Israel and no partial Israeli presence on Lebanese land,” he said.

Hezbollah was not represented in the Washington negotiations and has consistently opposed any agreement that requires the organization to surrender its weapons throughout Lebanon. The group maintains that previous U.N. resolutions require it only to remove its military presence from south of the Litani River rather than disarm nationwide.

Fighting continues despite diplomacy and ceasefire

Despite ongoing negotiations, violence has continued across southern Lebanon.

Earlier this week, Israel carried out additional airstrikes targeting what it described as Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure, raising concerns that the current lull in fighting could collapse before a permanent agreement is reached.

The latest conflict began after Hezbollah launched rockets into northern Israel days after Israel and the United States began military operations against Iran on Feb. 28. Israel later expanded its military campaign into Lebanon and continues to maintain forces in parts of southern Lebanon.

Despite an earlier American- and French-brokered ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israeli forces that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024, Israel has violated the agreement more than 15,000 times, according to Lebanese officials, killing more than 500 Lebanese civilians and destroying more than 11,000 homes in airstrikes across Lebanon. Hezbollah, meanwhile, refrained from engaging Israeli forces and fully adhered to the ceasefire for approximately 15 months, until the outbreak of the current conflict on Feb. 28, 2026.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli military aggression since March 2 has killed more than 4,230 people, injured more than 12,000 and displaced more than one million residents. Israel says at least 37 Israeli soldiers have been killed during combat operations in Lebanon and northern Israel.

Long road ahead

Although the framework agreement represents the most significant diplomatic breakthrough since the latest conflict began, major obstacles remain before any permanent settlement can be reached.

The central disputes include the timing of an Israeli withdrawal, the future of Hezbollah’s armed wing, security arrangements along the border and guarantees for Lebanon’s sovereignty.

With Hezbollah rejecting the negotiations and key implementation details still unresolved, the framework is widely viewed as an important diplomatic opening, but one that faces substantial political and military obstacles before it can evolve into a lasting peace agreement.

READ HERE THE FULL TEXT:

The Israel-Lebanon framework agreement brokered by the Trump administration in Washington, D.C.:

TRILATERAL FRAMEWORK BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, THE STATE OF ISRAEL, AND THE REPUBLIC OF LEBANON
The Government of Israel and the Government of Lebanon, with the full support of the United States under President Donald J. Trump, affirm their shared goal of achieving lasting peace and security. As reflected in this Trilateral Framework (“Framework”), and through future agreements, the two countries declare their ambition to end conflict between them, ensure the sovereignty and security of both countries, and establish peaceful neighborly relations between the two countries.

1. Israel and Lebanon affirm the right of each state to exist in peace, and their mutual desire to live in security as neighboring sovereign states. Israel and Lebanon hereby declare their intent to conclusively end the conflict, address its underlying causes, and to therewith formally conclude any state of war between them. This Framework, reached after multiple rounds of direct negotiations between the parties, builds upon previous successful agreements and understandings, and expresses a determination to make irreversible progress towards the comprehensive resolution of all issues between the two countries. Both countries affirm their intention to resolve these issues as sovereign states through direct bilateral negotiations, with the mediation and support of the United States.

2. The Government of Israel and the Government of Lebanon commit to a reciprocal, sequenced process, with clear conditions, whereby the LAF will restore effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of associated infrastructure, enabling the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to progressively redeploy out of the Lebanese territory. The components of this process will be detailed in a Security Annex, developed with the full support of the United States, that will complement this Framework. The Framework will set out the requisite measures, security arrangements, and verification mechanisms to advance this process. Successful implementation of this Framework will pave the way for a stable and peaceful relationship between the two countries and will enable the IDF to redeploy out of the Lebanese territory.

3. Pursuant to the Security Annex, and as part of the broader effort toward the Lebanese state’s monopoly of arms and sovereign territorial control, the LAF will gradually assume full and effective security responsibility in pilot zones, which will serve as the mechanism for phased and verified redeployments of the IDF and the deployments of the LAF. Two initial zones have been agreed to by the IDF and the LAF, and future pilot zones will also be agreed upon by mutual consent. Upon the confirmation of successful disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of their infrastructure in these zones, the LAF will assume full and effective security responsibility in these zones, internationally supported reconstruction efforts will begin, and Lebanese civilians will be able to safely return to these areas under the exclusive control of Lebanese state authorities. The United States intends to work closely with both countries to verify and support this process.

4. The Government of Lebanon reaffirms its resolute and irreversible commitment to restoring and exercising full sovereignty over all its territory. The Government of Lebanon will rebuild the State’s monopoly on the use of force, achieve the complete and verified disarmament of all non-state armed groups, and ensure that such groups will have no military or security role and no armed capabilities anywhere in Lebanon. The Government of Lebanon herewith requests the support of international and particularly Arab partners, under the leadership of the United States, to achieve this outcome.

5. The Government of Israel stresses that its military actions in Lebanon are solely a consequence of the attacks, threat posed by, and hostile intent of non-state armed groups, particularly Hizballah. The Government of Israel underscores that the termination of this threat, through the disarmament and dismantlement of such groups in all of Lebanon and additional security arrangements to be agreed upon between the two countries, will eliminate any future need for IDF military action or presence in Lebanon. Pursuant to the above, the Government of Israel declares that it has no territorial ambitions in Lebanon.

6. The Government of Lebanon, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and in exercise of its sovereign authority, reaffirms that its security forces hold exclusive responsibility for Lebanon’s security and defense and that the Government of Lebanon holds the exclusive sovereign authority to make war and peace. The Government of Lebanon rejects the claims of any state or non-state actor to use force on its behalf without its explicit authorization, and reiterates that any claim by any state or non-state actor to exercise a military or security role is illegal per the decisions of the Lebanese Government and contrary to Lebanese national interests.

7. The Government of Lebanon and the Government of Israel affirm that nothing in this Framework prevents them from exercising their inherent right to defend themselves, as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations and consistent with applicable international law, reaffirming that no third party may exercise that right on their behalf. Both governments commit to establishing a military coordination group, with U.S. support and participation, to ensure overall implementation of this Framework.

8. The two countries affirm that they share the objective of a secure, rebuilt Lebanon, under full Lebanese state sovereignty, in which no non-state armed group poses a threat to Israel, Lebanon, or citizens of either country. Furthermore, the two countries recognize that the restoration of security in South Lebanon through the deployment of the LAF, the safe return of its civilian population, and the security of Israel’s northern communities, are essential to long-term stability and peace.

9. The Government of Lebanon commits to a rigorous, performance-based program to enable the capacity of the LAF to assert full military and security control within Lebanon in accordance with security arrangements, agreed upon within the framework of negotiations, and to implement the disarmament of all non-state armed groups and exercise effective authority across Lebanon. The Government of Lebanon welcomes the readiness of the United States to support such efforts, recognizing that any new U.S. assistance will be strictly conditioned on verifiable milestones, full transparency, demonstrated results, and ongoing oversight. This effort will enable the safe and orderly re-establishment of Lebanese sovereignty, also contributing to the broader stability and security of the entire Middle East.

10. Separately, and simultaneously, the United States will rally international partners to actively support the Government of Lebanon in rebuilding the country, repairing infrastructure, restoring the economy, and creating opportunities for prosperity. This is expected to include mobilizing substantial reconstruction and humanitarian assistance for Lebanon, economic recovery programs, and investment initiatives so that Lebanon can recover from years of conflict and provide a better future for all its citizens.

11. Lebanon and the United States commit to preventing funds from flowing to any entity, organization, or individual affiliated with non-state armed groups and to take available legal measures to proscribe the activity of any such entity, organization or individual. The Government of Lebanon explicitly commits to prevent reconstruction funds from flowing to non-state armed groups and connected entities.

12. Upon the signing of this Framework, the two countries will work to establish working groups to draft the full comprehensive peace and security agreement. Moreover, to achieve the goals of the Framework, the two governments will immediately establish complementary tracks of ongoing direct engagement, facilitated by the United States. The two governments commit to proceeding in good faith until a full and lasting peace is achieved, bringing security, stability, and prosperity to the people of Israel and Lebanon.

13. In line with their shared goals to establish stable and peaceful relations, Israel and Lebanon commit to take good faith measures that demonstrate positive intent, including the cessation of all hostile or adverse actions in international political or legal fora, and pledge to work towards the search for and return of remains and the release of detainees.

14. The two governments acknowledge the role of the United States in supporting their efforts to end decades of conflict and establish lasting stability and comprehensive peace between the two countries and express their deep appreciation for the vision and leadership of President Donald J. Trump.

Signed at Washington D.C. on the 26th of June, 2026, in three originals, in the English language.