JERUSALEM/BEIRUT: Israel and Lebanon have reached a US-mediated framework agreement for a limited Israeli military withdrawal from southern Lebanon, with Israel set to vacate two areas within its self-declared buffer zone along the border, according to media reports.
The agreement was finalized during the fifth round of direct talks between Israeli and Lebanese officials in Washington. A signing ceremony was expected to take place at the US State Department following the conclusion of negotiations.
Under the framework, Israeli forces will withdraw from two locations inside the six-mile buffer zone established by the Israeli military in southern Lebanon. Lebanese army troops will replace Israeli forces in the evacuated areas, which Israel says have already been cleared of Hezbollah infrastructure.
Israeli officials have maintained that the buffer zone was created to prevent cross-border attacks, alleging that Hezbollah had used villages near the frontier to plan and launch operations against Israel. In some areas, Israeli forces reportedly demolished entire Lebanese villages during military operations.
The negotiations, facilitated by the United States, extended beyond their scheduled conclusion as both sides worked to bridge remaining differences. Reports suggested Washington pressed both parties to reach an agreement amid broader regional diplomatic efforts.
According to sources, Israel initially adopted a tougher negotiating stance following Washington’s recent diplomatic engagement with Iran, limiting the areas it was prepared to evacuate.
Lebanese negotiators, meanwhile, reportedly sought a broader Israeli withdrawal to reinforce Beirut’s position that decisions concerning Lebanese territory should remain under its own authority.
The framework agreement marks a step toward reducing tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border, although key issues, including the future of the remaining buffer zone and the presence of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, remain unresolved.
