Netanyahu says Israel-Lebanon framework agreement paves way for peace deal

Jerusalem, June 28 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the US-mediated framework agreement signed Friday between Israel and Lebanon paves the way to ending the conflict and eventually reaching a peace agreement between the two countries.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday in Jerusalem, Netanyahu said that “this agreement strengthens Israel and Lebanon, and weakens Iran and Hezbollah. This is a sign of things to come.”

He added that under the agreement, the United States and Lebanon recognize Israel’s right to maintain the “security zone” in southern Lebanon as long as it is necessary for Israel’s security, Xinhua news agency reported.

He stated that the Israeli military will continue to hold the “security zone” until Hezbollah and other “terror” organizations are disarmed.

Netanyahu noted that the framework agreement includes two areas near the northern boundary of the security zone, recommended by the Israeli military, where a pilot program will be launched to dismantle Hezbollah and transfer the area to the control of the Lebanese army.

He claimed that Israel has killed more than 9,000 Hezbollah militants since the start of the war and destroyed about 90 percent of the group’s stockpile of 150,000 missiles and rockets.

On Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel and Lebanon had reached a framework agreement for “lasting peace and security.”

The agreement, signed at the end of the latest round of ambassador-level talks in Washington, D.C., called again for the implementation of a fragile ceasefire between the two nations.

“Today is a good day in that we are happy to announce the – a framework agreement between the sovereign Government of Lebanon and of course the Government of Israel, with the mediation and support of the United States of America, that begins to put in place a framework for lasting peace and security. And that’s what these two nations deserve,” Rubio said during the signing ceremony.

The framework aims to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure and enable Israeli forces to return to their borders once security threats are removed.

–IANS

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