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Israel, Lebanon and U.S. Sign Deal on Southern Lebanon Withdrawal
Representatives of Israel, Lebanon and the United States signed an agreement Friday at the State Department. The deal outlines an Israeli military pullback from two areas inside a six-mile security zone in southern Lebanon.
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Representatives of Israel, Lebanon and the United States signed an agreement Friday at the State Department in Washington. The full text has not been released, but Israeli media reported that it calls for the Israeli military to withdraw from two areas within a six-mile security zone in southern Lebanon.
The Israeli premier said the agreement created two pilot zones on both sides of the Litani River where the Lebanese military would deploy. He added that the deal sent a message to Iran that it had no role in Lebanon.
A Hezbollah spokesperson told Newsweek the group would honor the agreement only if Israel withdrew completely from Lebanese territory. The spokesperson said the group did not take part in the talks and warned that further clashes would occur if the withdrawal remained partial.
"We are committed if the occupation is committed, but we have the right to liberate our land and homes," the spokesperson said. A November 2024 ceasefire ended major fighting, but both sides later accused each other of violating the truce by remaining in designated areas.
A U.S.-Iran memorandum signed last Thursday led to a new Lebanon ceasefire last Saturday. Officials from all three countries said Friday that progress had been made, even as limited clashes continued.
