U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said at the signing ceremony in Washington that the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon is only the first step, and much work lies ahead. Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Maouad also spoke, framing the deal as a path to eventual peace and restored sovereignty, according to Abu Ali Express.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared at Friday evening's signing ceremony in Washington that the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon is 'just the beginning,' adding that 'much work still lies ahead.' His remarks, reported by Abu Ali Express and first carried by The Zioneer at 20:41 Jerusalem time, came as the ceremony capped a week of U.S.-mediated diplomacy. The agreement is a declaration of intent rather than a comprehensive peace treaty, outlining a path toward normalization, security arrangements, and sovereignty restoration. Rubio's statement builds on his earlier praise for Thursday's bilateral talks, which he said yielded 'very good results,' and follows his separate phone calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Lebanese President Aoun overnight Thursday to resolve final differences.
At the same ceremony, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said the ultimate goal is genuine peace between the two states, and Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Maouad called the agreement a first step toward restoring Lebanese sovereignty and ensuring a permanent cessation of hostilities. Earlier, Leiter declared that Iran and Hezbollah are 'out of the game' — a sentiment that echoed through the thread. The signing was first reported by The Zioneer at 20:41, and within minutes, the ambassadors' framing was published at 20:47. A Report on a 'declaration of intent' was later published at 21:16, followed by a fuller account of the ceremony at 21:20, each corroborated by multiple sources including Abu Ali Express and i24NEWS.
As The Zioneer reported on Wednesday, the atmosphere in the Lebanon-Israel talks had improved, and by Thursday, Rubio publicly cited the emerging framework. Iran has criticized the talks as an American attempt to sideline its influence in Lebanon, while Israel has framed the deal as a strategic step to stabilize its northern border. Implementation details — including Israel's reported veto power over 'pilot zones' in southern Lebanon — have not yet been finalized.
6 developments
- StrongUnverified report claims US, Lebanon sign deal recognizing Israeli security zone in southern Lebanon
- StrongReport: Military talks between Israel and Lebanon show some progress in Washington
- DevelopingIsrael and US reach new understandings on Lebanon front, Israel Hayom reports
- DevelopingUS State Department: Lebanon-Israel agreement paves path to lasting peace
Source and signal
- Internal intake