Lebanon, Israel and US sign trilateral framework agreement in Washington

Lebanon, Israel and the United States signed a trilateral framework agreement in Washington on Friday, marking the first formal step toward a peace deal between the two longtime adversaries.

The accord follows five rounds of US-brokered talks aimed at ending decades of hostility and weeks of fierce fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

What does the Lebanon-Israel framework agreement mean?

The Lebanon-Israel framework agreement establishes a diplomatic structure for achieving lasting peace and security between the two countries. It does not constitute a final peace deal, but sets the conditions for one, including a permanent end to hostilities and the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty.

The full details of the agreement were not publicly announced.

What did officials say at the signing ceremony?

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the agreement "begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security."

Lebanon's ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, called it "a first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity," and said it would enable displaced Lebanese to return to their land. Israel's envoy Yechiel Leiter framed the deal in stark terms, saying Iran and Hezbollah are now "out," and that the path to peace between Israel and Lebanon is open.

How did the Lebanon-Israel conflict escalate to this point?

Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the wider Middle East war on March 2 with rocket fire targeting Israel, in retaliation for US-Israeli strikes that killed Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Israel responded with extensive air strikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says has killed more than 4,200 people.

The scale of destruction accelerated international pressure for a negotiated resolution.

What talks led to the Lebanon-Israel agreement?

Under US pressure, Lebanese officials entered direct talks with Israel in Washington in April, the first such formal engagement in decades. A ceasefire announced on April 17 failed to hold, and fighting continued.

A second ceasefire was declared this month after Tehran insisted that its separate agreement with Washington to end the broader conflict, launched by the US and Israel in late February, must also cover Lebanon.