U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared at a Washington ceremony Friday evening that the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon is 'just the beginning' and that 'there is still a long way to go' for both countries, according to Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio).
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared at the signing ceremony in Washington on Friday evening that the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon is 'just the beginning' and that 'there is still a long way to go,' according to Moriah Asraf and Doron Kadosh (N13 / Army Radio). The ceremony, underway at 20:41 Jerusalem time, formalizes an agreement reached earlier Friday after months of U.S.-mediated talks. Rubio's characterization frames the pact as an early step rather than a final settlement, signaling that detailed negotiations on border demarcation, security arrangements, and an IDF withdrawal timeline still lie ahead.
The thread of reports leading to tonight's signing unfolded rapidly on Friday. At 19:34 Jerusalem, Al Jazeera reported a Lebanese source claiming a 20:00 signing and withdrawal from two areas — a single-sourced report not yet confirmed by Israeli officials. Minutes later, an Israeli official confirmed to journalist Almog Boker that the framework deal would be signed in the coming hours, while Israeli journalist Yaron Avraham (N12) reported an MOU stipulating the IDF would hold the Yellow Line until Hezbollah disarms. Multiple Israeli news outlets then confirmed the framework had been agreed upon, covering a partial IDF withdrawal conditioned on Hezbollah's disarmament, tunnel handling, and future land-border negotiations. The Times of Israel first reported the framework agreement for a partial withdrawal at 19:34, and by 19:34 the signing itself was reported to be underway.
As The Zioneer reported on Thursday, Rubio called earlier rounds of Israel-Lebanon talks 'very good' and said the U.S. hoped to reach a joint statement of intent soon. The framework signed tonight is that statement of intent, now formalized. Rubio has also been publicly citing a U.S.-Israel MOU text, according to an earlier Zioneer report, amid ongoing debate over the U.S.-Iran MOU. Background items in The Zioneer's record also show Rubio standing beside President Trump as Trump praised the Iran deal, indicating the secretary of state's alignment with administration policy on multiple diplomatic fronts.
No additional details about the agreement's specific provisions have been released by any of the parties. The ceremony continues as of this report, and it remains unclear when full details of the framework's terms — including the exact areas of IDF withdrawal, the timeline for disarming Hezbollah, and the mechanism for future negotiations — will be made public.
15 developments
- StrongIsrael reportedly heading toward partial withdrawal from Lebanon, contradicting public statements
- DevelopingReport: Full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon agreed upon
- DevelopingFull text of Israel-Lebanon framework: gradual IDF withdrawal after Hezbollah disarmament
- DevelopingSaturday: IDF prepares to begin withdrawal from southern Lebanon pilot zones on Sunday
Source and signal
- Internal intake