Lebanon-Israel Deal Conditions Israeli Withdrawal on Hezbollah Disarmament

A U.S.-brokered framework agreement announced June 26 conditions a full Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon on the disarmament of Hezbollah throughout the country. The deal envisions an eventual peace agreement between the two nations, which have remained technically at war since Israel's founding nearly 80 years ago.

Lebanon's Western-backed government has described the agreement as a step toward restoring state sovereignty and allowing displaced residents to return to areas occupied by Israeli forces. Hezbollah and its supporters have rejected the terms, accusing the government of accepting an open-ended occupation and blocking roads in Beirut in protest.

The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began in March after the U.S. and Israel launched operations against Iran. Hezbollah entered the conflict without government approval and sought to link any ceasefire to broader U.S.-Iran negotiations, while Lebanese officials aimed to separate the two tracks.

An earlier U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal explicitly called for an end to the Lebanon conflict, leading to a reduction in fighting intensity. Israeli troops remain in large areas of southern Lebanon, and hundreds of thousands of residents stay displaced from villages and neighborhoods that were heavily damaged.

Hezbollah's leader called the framework agreement a humiliation and stated the group would not honor it. A Hezbollah legislator warned that the government would not be able to enforce the deal without triggering civil war. Lebanon's prime minister stated the agreement would restore state sovereignty and rejected accusations of blackmail.

The prime minister added that the government would not accept being pressured by Hezbollah. Two pilot zones were designated for initial Israeli withdrawal after the Lebanese army clears Hezbollah presence, but no timeline has been set. A Lebanese military official said the army has received no information on when or how the withdrawal will occur.