Israel and Lebanon sign US-mediated framework agreement, but Hezbollah rejects and clashes persist

Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement in Washington on Friday, brokered by the United States, that outlines a path toward permanent peace and the disarmament of Hezbollah. Within hours, the Iran-backed militia rejected the deal, protests erupted in Beirut, and Israeli forces killed several Hezbollah fighters in southern Lebanon. On Sunday, Israel destroyed a 200-metre tunnel packed with weapons, and an Israeli soldier died in clashes near Deir Serjan.

The framework agreement

After five rounds of negotiations since April, Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors signed the 14-point document alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. It declares the intention to end the state of war that has existed since 1948, resolve all disputes, and build "peaceful neighbourly relations." The text calls for the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups, naming Hezbollah as the primary target, and the removal of related infrastructure. In return, Israeli forces would withdraw step by step from two zones in southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army assuming security responsibility in so-called test areas.

This is the beginning of the beginning. Much work still lies ahead.

A historic success.

A first step toward the full restoration of the state's sovereignty over its territory.

Hezbollah's rejection

Hezbollah was not a party to the talks and immediately denounced the agreement. Leader Naim Kassem called it a "grave mistake" and said the militia considers it "null and void." On Saturday night, supporters protested in Beirut. Kassem later described the deal as a "humiliation," a "disgrace" and a "surrender of sovereignty." The group insists it will not disarm, and Iran demands that any resolution of the Lebanon conflict be negotiated under the US-Iran framework agreement signed in mid-June to end the Iran war.

Null and void.

Fighting on the ground

Despite a declared ceasefire that was never implemented, violence continued through the weekend. On Saturday, Israeli troops killed several Hezbollah fighters armed with an anti-tank missile near Nabatieh, close to the Israeli-declared security zone. Israeli airstrikes hit targets around Nabatieh and the towns of Deir Serjan and Tajbeh; Lebanon's health ministry reported at least one dead and two wounded. On Sunday, a 21-year-old Israeli soldier was killed when troops entered a suspicious building in Deir Serjan and encountered a Hezbollah operative. The death brings Israeli military losses to 38 since March, when Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Iran war.

Tunnel destruction

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced on Sunday that the army had destroyed a Hezbollah tunnel stretching more than 200 metres and reaching a depth of over 25 metres in southern Lebanon. It contained hundreds of weapons and several launch pads designed to target Israeli civilians. The US government and its representative in Lebanon were informed in advance. Defence Minister Katz said Israeli forces had been ordered to prepare for an extended stay in the security zone, which extends up to 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory.

Outlook

The framework agreement sketches a fragile process. Hezbollah's refusal to disarm and its control over parts of Lebanon cast doubt on implementation. The Lebanese army is expected to gradually take over security, but the militia's parallel military structure remains intact. Thousands have been killed and about a million displaced since Israeli forces invaded southern Lebanon this spring. The US-mediated deal is the most concrete diplomatic effort in years, yet the weekend's violence shows how distant a durable peace remains.