June 26, 2026, 8:27 p.mJune 26, 2026, 8:27 p.m
In the war between Israel and the pro-Iranian Hezbollah militia, Lebanon and Israel have agreed on a framework agreement. The agreement is a first step towards lasting peace between the two countries, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. “And that’s exactly what these two nations deserve.”
The ambassador from Lebanon, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, and the ambassador from Israel, Jechiel Leiter, signed the agreement in the presence of Rubio. Representatives of the two neighboring countries had previously negotiated for days in Washington under US mediation.
On Thursday evening, Israel again attacked members of Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, increasing fears that the talks would fail. The Shiite militia did not take part in the talks and rejects them. There was initially no statement from Hezbollah on the signed framework agreement.
The ceasefire became more stable
There has been a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel since June 19th. After several failed attempts, it was recently largely adhered to by both sides.
The talks in Washington should first consolidate the existing ceasefire. Above all, the Lebanese government wants to achieve a withdrawal of Israeli troops. Israel in turn demands that Hezbollah be disarmed. The Israeli government has recently emphasized several times that it will only withdraw from the neighboring country once Hezbollah is completely disarmed. Hezbollah leader Naim Kassim reiterated in the evening, according to Al Jazeera, that Israel has no other choice and must leave Lebanon unconditionally. (sda/dpa)