The agreement has been signed, but will it be implemented? The Lebanese and Israeli flags on the border of the two states. Image: keystone
Israel and the Lebanese government have agreed, through US mediation, to withdraw the Israeli army from two zones in southern Lebanon. The regular Lebanese army is supposed to take control there. In a framework agreement, Israel and Lebanon also commit to ending their decades-long conflict.
June 27, 2026, 1:50 p.mJune 27, 2026, 1:50 p.m
Israel and the Lebanese government have agreed, through US mediation, to withdraw the Israeli army from two zones in southern Lebanon. The regular Lebanese army is supposed to take control there. In a framework agreement, Israel and Lebanon also commit to ending their decades-long conflict.
The agreement is a “first step” towards lasting peace between the two countries, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington. A state of war between Israel and Lebanon was never officially ended. Lebanon does not recognize the State of Israel, but is not a belligerent in the current conflict.
Handshake: US Secretary of State Rubio and the Lebanese UN Ambassador Nada Hamadeh.Image: keystone
The Lebanese Hezbollah militia, which is considered significantly more powerful than the regular Lebanese armed forces, and Israel are fighting it out. The Iranian-backed militia did not take part in the negotiations and rejects the agreement – a reason why many observers have little hope of a lasting end to the decades-long conflict.
Israel should hand over occupied land in Lebanon to the army
Contrary to what the leadership in Tehran and Hezbollah have demanded, according to the framework agreement, Israel does not have to withdraw from a self-defined “security zone” in southern Lebanon as long as state groups such as Hezbollah have not been disarmed.
The Israeli “security zone” in southern Lebanon. Map: Israel Defense Forces
However, the agreement calls for the Israeli army to gradually withdraw from two zones and for the regular Lebanese army to take control there. The US military should check whether the areas are no longer being used by Hezbollah, the US news portal “Axios” reported, citing US and Israeli officials. A time frame or specific conditions for an Israeli withdrawal have not been set.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who praised the agreement, described the “security zone” set up by the army in southern Lebanon on the border with Israel as a barrier between the Hezbollah militia and citizens and communities in the north of the country. The militia repeatedly attacks northern Israel with rockets and drones.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the agreement. Image: keystone
Hezbollah has no general right under international law to use military force against Israel. Lebanon is obliged in principle not to allow its territory to be used as a starting point for armed attacks on other states, but cannot enforce this. The government declared Hezbollah’s military activities illegal earlier this year. At the same time, she tries to avoid internal tensions.
The Lebanese government classifies the area controlled by Israel, which makes up a good six percent of the territory, as occupied territory in violation of international law.
Many stumbling blocks in implementation
Israeli Middle East expert Danny Citrinowicz, speaking on Its implementation is stagnating.
The agreement is certainly an impressive diplomatic achievement, but we’ve seen similar optimism before, most notably in Gaza. The real question is whether this marks the beginning of a lasting settlement between Israel and Lebanon. I remain skeptical.
First, there is a… https://t.co/ai0W6Dxa27
— Danny (Dennis) Citrinowicz ,داني سيترينوفيتش (@citrinowicz) June 26, 2026
Citrinowicz describes the agreement’s central assumption that Hezbollah will ultimately be disarmed as highly questionable. Neither the Lebanese armed forces nor Israel are likely to achieve this goal in the foreseeable future. “As a result, the issue of Hezbollah’s weapons could become a justification for an indefinite Israeli military presence, similar to how unresolved security concerns have prolonged other conflicts,” he said.
Furthermore, it is unlikely that an Israeli prime minister would agree to a significant withdrawal from Lebanon. The limited troop deployment that has already been approved affects areas that Israel would hardly have been able to hold permanently anyway. There is little evidence that further withdrawals will take place under the current conditions.
Other observers also point to Iran’s role. The Iranian government supports Hezbollah financially and with weapons. Hezbollah is considered Iran’s important deterrent tool against Israel and thus contributes to its retention of power. Critics doubt Iran’s willingness to give up Hezbollah’s weapons.
Hezbollah is the extended arm of the Iranian regime in Lebanon and forms a state within a state there.Image: keystone
Hezbollah rejects agreement
Hezbollah said it did not feel bound by the framework agreement. The agreement could only be enforced through a US-backed civil war, Hassan Fadlallah, a member of the Hezbollah faction in the Lebanese parliament, told the Lebanese pro-Iranian news portal Al Majadin.
Fadlallah said Hezbollah would oppose any government action resulting from the agreement, stick to its guns and not allow the authorities to impose their will on the Lebanese people. Many of their supporters took to the streets on Friday evening to demonstrate against the agreement.
The ceasefire has recently become 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.
Situation in Lebanon could endanger peace in Iran
The conflict in Lebanon is particularly relevant for the USA because it could become a sticking point in negotiations with Iran. The framework agreement reached between Washington and Tehran also provides for an end to the fighting in Lebanon. Experts criticize that the US government has given Iran veto rights over developments in Lebanon.
Iran wants to protect Hezbollah at all costs and is therefore making Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon a condition for a permanent end to the war. There is actually a ceasefire between the USA and Iran. For the first time since the framework agreement was reached, the USA attacked Iranian targets again during the night – in response to an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf state of Bahrain reported an Iranian drone attack. (sda/dpa)