Israel, Lebanon Sign 2-Zone Withdrawal Deal as U.S. Military Oversees Rollout
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 26
Israel, Lebanon Sign 2-Zone Withdrawal Deal as U.S. Military Oversees Rollout
3 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · Jun 26
Summary
Two pilot zones will test an IDF pullback and Lebanese army deployment under a U.S.-brokered framework signed by Israel, Lebanon and Washington, with no fixed implementation timetable, according to Israeli officials.
U.S. military oversight is central to the new deal, replacing the looser November 2024 arrangement with closer monitoring and training for the Lebanese army as it is tasked with dismantling Hezbollah infrastructure in the zones.
Israel said one zone lies north of the Litani River and the other could include recently captured territory beyond the yellow line; further withdrawals would depend on Hezbollah-free areas and later disarmament.
Hezbollah has not formally responded, but lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah rejected direct talks with Israel and said Iran would not back any deal before a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.
Marco Rubio called the signing "the beginning of the beginning," while Israeli and Lebanese officials cast it as a first step toward a permanent ceasefire, restored sovereignty and eventually a broader peace arrangement.
With fighting intensifying after the deal's announcement, is this 'first step toward peace' already failing?
Can a peace deal succeed when Lebanon's most powerful military force, Hezbollah, was excluded from the talks?
The 2026 Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire Framework: U.S. Diplomacy, Hezbollah’s Exclusion, and the Road Ahead
Overview
In June 2026, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework was agreed upon to end the long-running conflict between Israel and Lebanon. While officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, withheld specific details about the agreement, its stated goal is to achieve real peace and mutual security, with both countries’ sovereignty respected. The framework aims to remove both Iran and Hezbollah from the conflict equation, but a major challenge is that Hezbollah was not involved in the talks. This exclusion raises doubts about the framework’s effectiveness and highlights the fragile nature of the current peace efforts.