Israel and Lebanon signed a US-mediated trilateral framework agreement in Washington on June 26, 2026, to kick off a peace process aimed at restoring Lebanese sovereignty and ending hostilities [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. The deal was signed by Lebanese ambassador Nada Hamadeh, Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter, and a US State Department representative [3, 5, 8].
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the agreement "the beginning of the beginning" and said it marks "a first step" toward lasting peace and security. He stated, "The deal 'begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security.' That's what these two nations deserve" [1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8]. He also said, "There's a lot of work ahead. We don't in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead, but we understand the importance of it, how vital it is" [2].
The framework aims to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty by disarming Hezbollah and leading to Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories in southern Lebanon [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. It calls for a ceasefire contingent on Hezbollah ending fire and withdrawing from the South Litani area [1, 10, 4]. Israel will maintain a security zone inside southern Lebanon along the so-called Yellow Line, roughly 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory, until Hezbollah is disarmed [1, 11, 7, 8, 9]. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel will keep this presence "as long as Hezbollah remains armed and continues to pose a threat to Israel" [5, 8, 9].
The agreement also creates a trilateral military coordination group including the US, Israel, and Lebanon to oversee its implementation [4, 7, 8]. Reportedly, Israel agreed to hand over two pilot areas in southern Lebanon to the Lebanese military as a first step, although sources differ on this point [11, 7, 8]. Lebanon’s Michel Aoun called it "the first step towards restoring Lebanon's full sovereignty and the return of displaced people to their homes under national sovereignty" [6].
The US pledged $130 million in humanitarian and military aid to Lebanon to support implementation and sovereignty restoration [8]. More than 4,000 people have died in Lebanon from Israeli strikes since March 2026, with at least 37 Israeli soldiers killed in fighting [11, 3, 7]. The conflict began escalating after US-Israel attacks on Iran triggered Hezbollah rocket attacks on Israel in late February 2026 [1, 11, 3, 7]. A previous US-brokered ceasefire in April failed to end clashes or the Israeli troop presence [1, 11, 3].
Hezbollah rejected the framework agreement, refusing to disarm or withdraw. Its deputy leader Naim Qassem demanded "Israel must leave unconditionally," while Hezbollah spokesman Hassan Fadlallah warned the deal would cause civil war and hurt Lebanese sovereignty [2, 12, 5, 6, 8]. The group refuses direct talks with Israel and opposes disarmament [6].
Israeli forces dropped leaflets on June 26 ordering residents of Mansouri in southern Lebanon to flee and designated the town part of the security occupation zone [11].
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 requiring cessation of military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, setting the stage for the current agreement [2, 4]. Lebanon, Israel, and the US plan to implement the framework with ongoing diplomatic and military coordination. The next concrete step will involve monitoring the ceasefire conditions and the disarmament process.
