Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saturday evening that the framework agreement with Lebanon is a historic achievement that paves the way for a peace agreement. He said the United States and Lebanon formally recognized Israel's right to maintain a security zone, presented a map of pilot deployment areas for the Lebanese army, and called the deal a major blow to Iran and Hezbollah.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference Saturday evening in Jerusalem to lay out the framework agreement with Lebanon, signed in Washington on Friday. He characterized the deal as a historic achievement that enables progress toward a peace agreement, and emphasized that the United States and Lebanon recognized Israel's right to maintain a security zone in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu presented a map detailing the pilot zones where the Lebanese army will deploy as part of the agreement, and praised Lebanon for showing 'great courage.' The prime minister described the framework as a major blow to Iran and Hezbollah.
As The Zioneer reported earlier Saturday evening (20:58 Jerusalem), Netanyahu stated that Israel will remain at the Beaufort outpost in southern Lebanon. The framework has drawn a range of reactions: the Abu Ali Express channel, in an analysis published at 20:15, described it as a significant strategic achievement for Israel that keeps nearly all IDF-seized territory until Hezbollah disarms, with full Lebanese legal backing.
On the other side, Hezbollah senior official Hassan Fadlallah, as reported by The Zioneer on June 18, claimed the deal preserves Lebanon's territorial integrity and denies any permanent Israeli presence or buffer zone — a claim directly contradicted by Netanyahu's insistence on the security zone. The pilot zone map, presented with a detailed slide, marks the first visual delineation of where the Lebanese army will deploy. Full details on the zones' locations and the phased timeline remain under discussion.
3 developments
- StrongNetanyahu: IDF controls nearly 70% of Gaza Strip; vows no withdrawal from Lebanon buffer zone
- DevelopingSenior Israeli official maps two Lebanese army deployment zones beyond Yellow Line
- StrongNetanyahu tells aides withdrawal from southern Lebanon is a 'red line' as US pressure mounts
- DevelopingIDF pushes into three new axes in southern Lebanon, sources report
Source and signal
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