Israel, Lebanon, and the United States signed a trilateral framework agreement in Washington on Friday, marking what US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as "the beginning of the beginning" of a process aimed at establishing lasting peace and security between the two neighbouring states, which have technically been at war since Israel's founding in 1948. "There is a lot of work ahead," Rubio said at the signing ceremony held at the State Department. "Today is the first step. The first step is sometimes the hardest one." The US also committed $100 million in humanitarian assistance as part of the announcement.

The 14-point framework, which was the result of five rounds of direct talks brokered by Washington beginning in April, outlines a "sequenced process" in which the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) would restore "effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups" — a clear reference to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militant group that has fought Israel across Lebanon's southern border. Only after verified disarmament would Israel "progressively redeploy" from Lebanese territory. As an initial step, the framework designates two "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon where the Lebanese army would gradually assume full security responsibility. The agreement also establishes a trilateral Military Coordination Group to oversee implementation, and calls for a cessation of hostile actions in international political and legal forums, the release of detainees, and the return of remains.

Both sides framed the deal as a significant but incomplete achievement. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun thanked the US administration and said the agreement represented "the first step on the path towards Lebanon restoring its sovereignty over all its territory," adding that he envisioned a Lebanon "with no occupation, no prisoners, no dependency." Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described it as a continuation of existing UN resolutions requiring the Lebanese state to hold exclusive authority across the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the deal "a major achievement for Israel" and said it "dealt a strong blow to Iran," but was unequivocal that Israeli forces would remain in what he termed Lebanon's "security belt" until Hezbollah was fully disarmed — a position that leaves the timeline for any Israeli withdrawal deeply uncertain. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went further, suggesting Israel may need to remain beyond disarmament to secure "defendable borders."

Hezbollah, which was not party to the talks and has repeatedly and publicly rejected direct negotiations between the Lebanese government and Israel, reacted with open hostility. A Hezbollah member of parliament warned that the agreement could only be enforced through "civil war," while the group's secretary-general has insisted on unconditional Israeli withdrawal and ruled out any normalisation. Hours after the signing, Hezbollah supporters rode motorcycles through central Beirut, blocking at least one road with burning tyres in protest. The Lebanese army set up temporary checkpoints along several streets in the capital.

The agreement arrives amid a volatile and still-active conflict. Israel has killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon since the current round of hostilities began, displaced over 1.2 million, and currently occupies roughly one-fifth of the country's territory in the south. On the very day of the signing, Israeli air raids were reported in several southern Lebanese towns, and fighting between Israeli and Hezbollah forces has continued despite multiple ceasefire efforts. The framework deal is therefore less an end to the conflict than a structured diplomatic foundation — one whose success will depend heavily on whether Hezbollah can be persuaded or compelled to disarm, a prospect that remains deeply contested on the ground.