Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told US President Donald Trump during a phone call on Saturday that he hopes Washington will help prevent violations of a recently signed framework agreement with Israel and ensure commitments are fulfilled, particularly by pressing Israel to withdraw from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, the Lebanese presidency said.
Phone Call Details
Aoun also stated that Lebanon would assume its responsibilities in implementing the framework agreement, according to a statement from Aoun's office. The statement added that Trump expressed his anticipation of meeting Aoun in Washington soon.
The call came a day after Lebanon, Israel, and the United States signed a trilateral framework agreement on Friday, aimed at paving the way for a peace deal between the two long-time Middle East adversaries.
Framework Agreement Background
The agreement, details of which were not announced in Washington, is the result of five rounds of talks in the US capital aimed at ending decades of hostilities and weeks of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Aoun's office stated that the president “said the Lebanese state would assume its responsibilities in implementing the framework agreement and expressed hope that the United States would help prevent any violations of the deal and ensure that all commitments are fulfilled, notably by pressuring Israel to withdraw from the areas it occupies in southern Lebanon to facilitate the deployment of the Lebanese army up to the international border.”
US Role and Next Steps
The United States played a key role in brokering the talks, which began as a series of indirect negotiations. The framework is seen as a first step toward a comprehensive peace treaty. No specific timeline for Israel's withdrawal or the Lebanese army deployment has been announced.
