Meeting at Lebanese Ministry of Defense
Lebanese army chief Rodolphe Haykal met with Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), on Monday at the Lebanese Ministry of Defense. The discussions focused on implementing a US-Lebanon-Israel agreement signed last week aimed at ending hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, according to a Lebanese army statement.
Haykal and Cooper addressed “the latest developments in Lebanon and the region,” the statement said. They also discussed “the importance of successfully implementing the security annex of the framework agreement” and ways to strengthen future cooperation.
Trilateral Framework Agreement
On Friday, Lebanon and Israel, under US sponsorship, signed a “trilateral framework” agreement to end hostilities. The conflict began in March when Iran-backed Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, drawing Lebanon into the Middle East war and triggering Israeli airstrikes and a ground invasion.
The agreement commits Lebanon to restoring sovereignty over its territory through the “verified disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of associated infrastructure,” enabling a progressive Israeli withdrawal, according to the text released by the US State Department. “The components of this process will be detailed in a Security Annex, developed with the full support of the United States,” the text said, without immediately publishing the annex.
US Financial Support for Lebanese Army
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that Washington would reimburse Lebanon’s army for $30 million to “improve the capability and capacity” of the Lebanese military. The US has long been a key supporter of Lebanon’s army.
Hezbollah Rejects Agreement
Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem called the agreement “null and void” and instead called for the implementation of a US-Iran memorandum of understanding to halt the regional war that included Lebanon. The Israel-Lebanon talks in Washington sought to separate Lebanon from the Iran deal. However, Friday’s agreement came after a lull in fighting that followed the US-Iran memorandum, which Tehran insisted should include Lebanon.
Hezbollah Warns of Self-Defense
Hezbollah on Monday said it reserved the right to self-defense after several Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon the day before, accusing Israel of a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.” Israeli troops are operating in a self-declared “security zone” stretching around 10 kilometers (six miles) deep inside Lebanese territory along the border. Lebanese authorities say Israeli attacks since the war began on March 2 have killed more than 4,200 people.
