Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement in Washington, Hezbollah objects and Netanyahu maintains southern occupation

The agreement, presented as a first step toward lasting peace, has been contested by Hezbollah, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that residents of areas occupied by the Israeli army in southern Lebanon would not be allowed to return home. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the agreement as establishing "a framework for lasting peace and security." The talks, which began in mid-April, were the first direct discussions in decades between the two states, which remain officially at war.

Lebanese Ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, viewed it as "a first step toward restoring Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity." Lebanese President Joseph Aoun echoed this, calling it a "first step" towards a fully sovereign Lebanon and promising continued efforts until all "occupation," "guardianship," or "subordination" disappears. He assured that residents could return to "their fully liberated lands."

However, Israeli Ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, emphasized that "Iran is excluded, Hezbollah is excluded" from this process. Prime Minister Netanyahu affirmed that residents who fled Israeli-occupied sectors in southern Lebanon would not be permitted to return, stating, "We do not let Hezbollah in, and we do not let the civilian population in either," confirming the mai