Lebanon, Israel and the United States on Friday signed a trilateral agreement aimed at paving the way for a peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon. Speaking at the signing ceremony in Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “We are pleased to announce that a agreement has been reached between the sovereign government of Lebanon and the government of Israel, through the mediation and support of the United States.” Rubio added: “This agreement marks the beginning of a framework aimed at achieving lasting peace and security between the two countries.” The agreement was reached after weeks of indirect talks between Israeli and Lebanese representatives mediated by the United States. It comes after Israel reached a ceasefire with Lebanon’s Hezbollah group last week, following the signing of an agreement ending hostilities between Iran and the United States. However, the Israeli military has continued its strikes in southern Lebanon. On Friday, it also called on residents of a residential area in Lebanon to evacuate the area.
