Salam pushes for further implementation of framework deal in Rubio meeting
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Monday called for the further implementation of a framework agreement with Israel in his meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington.
Hezbollah attacked Israel in March this year, the latter responded with massive airstrikes and a ground invasion that killed more than 4,300 people.
Lebanon and Israel concluded a framework agreement in June under U.S. auspices, providing for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hezbollah, but its implementation has stalled.
In a statement, Salam's office said that in his meeting with Rubio, he "stressed the need to move to the stage of implementation of the tripartite framework and translation of the principles of reciprocity and phased implementation into practical steps and tangible results on the ground, leading to the restoration of Lebanon’s full sovereignty, the achievement of a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, and the confinement of weapons to the state throughout its territory."
In a post on X, Rubio said he reaffirmed "strong U.S. support as Lebanon implements the Trilateral Framework – the only path to a durable peace with Israel."
"The United States stands with a sovereign Lebanon, free from Hezbollah and Iranian influence," he added.
The agreement also involves the deployment of the Lebanese army to the south, starting in test areas known as "pilot zones."
Earlier this month, U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa visited one of the "pilot zones" that recently came under Lebanese military control "to assess conditions on the ground and see firsthand the progress and challenges" there.
Salam "called for the establishment of a credible verification mechanism to monitor implementation and ensure compliance with the commitments" and stressed the importance of continued U.S. support to the Lebanese military, tasked with the difficult mission of disarming Hezbollah.
The militant group refuses to lay down its weapons, and Israel still carries out strikes on Lebanon and occupies a swath of its south despite the agreement.
On Monday, Lebanon reported a large explosion set off by the Israeli army in the southern town of Mansouri, with the military saying it had completed an operation there and dismantled "terrorist" infrastructure.
Source: Agence France Presse
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