Under a new agreement signed after four days of talks in Washington, Israel will withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon and transfer its bases to the Lebanese army, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.
A senior Israeli official said the negotiations would result in a tripartite agreement between Israel, Lebanon and the United States, allowing for “future agreements” towards a broader peace agreement.
At the signing of the agreement, Lebanese Ambassador to the United States Nada Hamadeh Moawad said the agreement is “a first step toward restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu said that one of the areas where the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw its troops is north of the Litani River, and the other is south of the river. The Israeli-occupied territory in southern Lebanon includes the area south of the Litani River. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a prerecorded video statement Friday evening that the Israeli military’s move was leaving an “unnecessary” base for the Israel Defense Forces in Lebanon.
The U.S. State Department was hosting a fifth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon in the Trump administration’s attempt to reach a broader agreement between the two countries, which previously had no diplomatic relations.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the signing ceremony that today is “the beginning of the beginning.” “There’s a lot of work ahead of us. We never underestimate the difficulty of the work ahead. But we understand its importance, how important it is. And we’re honored to play a role in bringing this together.”
Lebanese forces are expected to move into these areas as part of a pilot program that is part of the latest ceasefire agreement between the two countries. CNN previously reported that Israel was considering a “symbolic” withdrawal from occupied territory in southern Lebanon as part of the talks, as a “gesture” to the Lebanese government.
On Thursday, the IDF announced it would “temporarily” reduce its troop presence in Lebanon, but the statement provided to CNN did not mention a withdrawal from the territory. A day earlier, Israel’s defense minister said troops would not withdraw from Lebanon even if the United States demanded it.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said the deal was a major victory for Israel, allowing it to keep most of the territory it occupies in southern Lebanon and hold onto the deal unless Hezbollah disarms.
“This is a huge blow to Iran,” Prime Minister Netanyahu said. “Iran is trying to force us out of southern Lebanon. In effect, Israel, Lebanon and the United States are saying to them, ‘This doesn’t concern you.'”
“The peoples of Lebanon and Israel have the right to live in peace and security, but they have long suffered from conflict,” Rubio added.
Hassan Fadala, a Hezbollah member of the Lebanese parliament, said the Iran-backed group had rejected direct negotiations with Israel and called on the government to “reverse these negotiations and all decisions taken against the people.”
“Anyone who shakes hands with the enemy is a criminal like them,” Fadallah told the pro-Hezbollah news channel al-Mayadeen.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
