The announcement of a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon after negotiations in the United States has been met with guarded optimism in Israel.Friday’s agreement describes a “sequenced process” that will see the Lebanese army restore “effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, pending the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups” – a clear reference to Hezbollah, which has been fighting with Israel since October 2023, with varying levels of intensity.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of listOnly once that process is completed, will Israeli forces be able to “progressively redeploy” out of the large area of southern Lebanon they have occupied since early March, when they launched a renewed offensive that has killed more than 4,000 people.The Washington framework does not specify what measures will be used to verify disarmament but outlines two “pilot zones” for an initial Israeli withdrawal, where the Lebanese military “will gradually assume full and effective security responsibility”.Yossi Mekelberg, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House, said “only time and its implementation will determine” whether this is “a real agreement or just something signed” to appease the US, Israel’s principal backer and a signatory to Friday’s agreement.Last week, Washington and Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to end the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran in late February that was conditional upon Israel halting its campaign in Lebanon and agreeing to respect the “territorial integrity and sovereignty of …
