US, Israel, Lebanon Sign Framework Agreement to End Conflict

The United States, Israel, and Lebanon on Friday signed a trilateral framework agreement to resolve the ongoing armed conflict. According to a US State Department release, the agreement was signed by the Israeli and Lebanese envoys to the US, Yechiel Leiter and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, along with State Department Counsellor Daniel Joseph Holler at the State Department. The signing was witnessed by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Rubio described the signing as the ‘beginning of the beginning’, whilst emphasising that much important work remains. ‘We in no way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead,’ Rubio said. Earlier this month, Reuters reported, citing a US official, that Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah movement had agreed to a ceasefire beginning on 19 June. However, airstrikes continued on 20 June. Israel Defence Forces Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir described the ceasefire as fragile and called on troops to prepare for a resumption of hostilities.