Israel, Lebanon, and the United States announced an initial trilateral framework agreement on Friday, June 26, 2026, designed to lead to an end to the conflict between Israel and Lebanon and ultimately achieve a peace settlement. This agreement follows an escalation of conflict after Iran-backed Hezbollah retaliated against Israel in late February. A senior Israeli official confirmed that Israel would maintain a "security zone" extending about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanon from the Israeli border, an area described as a seized territory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the framework as a "great achievement" for Israel, emphasizing the commitment to maintaining this security zone as long as Hezbollah remains armed and poses a threat.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam stated that the agreement aims to achieve an Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory, restore state sovereignty, and facilitate the return of its citizens. The agreement obligates Lebanon to extend the authority of its armed forces over all its territory. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had previously indicated that a proposal for "pilot zones" where the Lebanese army would assume exclusive control, pending Israeli troop withdrawal, was under discussion. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, alongside Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors, unveiled the framework, which does not include Hezbollah in its direct negotiations.
The U.S. State Department outlined that the framework establishes a process for dismantling Hezbollah and for Lebanon to regain territory held by Israeli forces. The U.S. will facilitate a new "Military Coordination Group for Lebanon" to implement the framework and has pledged $100 million in humanitarian assistance. The framework promises a "genuine pathway out of a long crisis" for Lebanon and a "verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border" for Israel. However, Hassan Fadlallah, a Hezbollah official, rejected Lebanon's direct negotiations with Israel and reiterated the group's refusal to disarm, warning of potential civil war if Lebanese authorities attempt to enforce the agreement without their consent. The latest conflict, which began when Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel after a joint U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, has resulted in over 4,000 deaths in Lebanon from Israeli strikes and 37 Israeli soldiers killed.
