Israel and Lebanon on Friday afternoon signed a historic framework agreement.
The agreement was signed in Washington in a special ceremony attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The agreement was signed by Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad.
Speaking before the signing ceremony, Rubio said, “We are pleased to announce the agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Both countries deserve it after years of suffering caused by external interference," he stated.
Israeli officials said earlier that a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon would be announced after four days of negotiations in Washington.
Channel 12 News reported that the emerging Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishes the conditions for shifting the security reality on the northern border, with the primary objective for both sides being the complete removal of Iranian influence from Lebanon.
The agreement stipulates that Israel will remain within the Yellow Line zone until the Hezbollah terrorist organization is fully disarmed, and until it is proven that Lebanon can assume full sovereignty and responsibility over its own territory.
"We will withdraw from the territory we have taken only if Hezbollah ceases to be a factor in the entire country," a senior Israeli official told Channel 12 News. "We retain the freedom to respond to any threat that arises."
The same official added that Israel is working to solidify international recognition for its presence in the area as long as a threat persists along the border.
The agreement is expected to include a pilot program which would see the IDF withdrawing from a limited sector it currently holds in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) moving in to replace the Israeli soldiers.
As part of the agreement, the pilot program will be implemented in two selected areas: the first zone lies outside the Yellow Line, west of the Salouqi and south of the Litani. The second zone is located north of the Litani, with a portion extending into the newly designated Yellow Line and a portion falling outside of it.
The pilot is set to commence as soon as the Lebanese Armed Forces are ready to deploy. In the initial phase, the US military will enter alongside Lebanese forces to assist them in executing the mission.
A senior Israeli diplomatic official commented on the signing of the agreement, stating, "Following lengthy negotiations, representatives from the US, Israel, and Lebanon signed a trilateral working framework this evening, designed to pave the way for future agreements and achieve a lasting peace settlement."
"Israel will maintain its security zone within the boundaries of the Yellow Line in Lebanon until the day Hezbollah and all other terrorist organizations in Lebanon are disarmed, and a threat to the State of Israel no longer emanates from Lebanese territory," the senior official added. "The IDF will retain full operational freedom of action throughout the security zone to neutralize threats of any kind."
The senior diplomatic official further noted, "This trilateral framework represents a major achievement for Israel." He asserted that the framework agreement "categorically rejects Iran's attempt to force a unilateral withdrawal from southern Lebanon," effectively stripping both Iran and Hezbollah of any role or influence in the country.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)