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Lebanon, Israel, and the United States have signed a trilateral framework agreement designed to establish a peace deal between the two long-standing adversaries. This agreement, the result of five rounds of talks in Washington, includes a pilot initiative where Lebanese soldiers will assume control of two areas currently occupied by Israel. It also outlines a process for disarming Hezbollah.

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It begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security. It's the beginning of the beginning. There's a lot of work ahead.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the accord as the "beginning of the beginning" for lasting peace and security, acknowledging that significant work remains. Lebanon's ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, stated that the agreement is a crucial first step toward restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent cessation of hostilities, and enabling displaced people to return home.

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It is a first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity, securing a permanent and final cessation of hostilities (and) enabling our people to go back to their land.

Israel's envoy to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, emphasized that the deal aims to remove Iran and Hezbollah from the equation, paving the way for peace between Israel and Lebanon. The agreement declares the intent of both nations to conclusively end the conflict and formally conclude any state of war. It also establishes a framework for the Lebanese Armed Forces to regain sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, contingent upon the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups, particularly Hezbollah. This redeployment would allow the Israeli army to progressively withdraw from Lebanese territory.

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Iran is out, Hezbollah is out, and the road to peace between Israel and Lebanon is in.