The agreement links the restoration of full Lebanese state authority in southern Lebanon to the verified disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah. Analysts say the arrangement places obligations on Lebanon that its government and military are unable to enforce while offering no guaranteed timetable for an Israeli withdrawal.

Hezbollah has rejected any move to disarm, and successive Lebanese governments have acknowledged the limits of their authority over the group, which remains the country’s most powerful armed faction. Analysts say this leaves Israel with grounds to maintain an open-ended military presence in southern Lebanon.

“This is not an agreement, it is an imposed settlement,” a senior Lebanese politician, who declined to be identified, told Reuters. The official said the Lebanese army lacks both the structure and capability to disarm Hezbollah and that attempting to do so would threaten Lebanon’s fragile sectarian balance.

Michael Young, a Beirut-based political analyst, said the framework placed the burden almost entirely on Lebanon while allowing Israel to remain in southern Lebanon indefinitely if the disarmament condition is not met.

Fawaz Gerges, professor of international relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science, described the agreement as “born dead,” arguing that it depends on a condition that is politically and practically unattainable. He said Israel had already established a security buffer zone in southern Lebanon and that the agreement risked giving that presence long-term diplomatic legitimacy.

The framework forms part of wider diplomatic efforts linked to easing regional tensions following the recent conflict involving Iran, Israel and the United States. Analysts said separating the Lebanon file from broader regional negotiations has provided Israel with greater flexibility in maintaining its military posture along the border.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has presented the agreement as a step toward broader regional stability while maintaining that Israeli forces will remain in the designated security zone until Hezbollah and other armed groups are disarmed and no longer pose a threat to northern Israel.

Three senior Israeli officials told Reuters that Israel has limited confidence in Lebanon’s ability to disarm Hezbollah but views the agreement as an important diplomatic framework for future normalization efforts with its northern neighbor.

The conflict in Lebanon has displaced around one million people and resulted in approximately 4,000 deaths during Israel’s military campaign against Hezbollah, according to figures cited in the report.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the agreement as an initial step toward restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty and facilitating the return of displaced residents. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri rejected the framework, describing it as an imposed arrangement that failed to safeguard Lebanon’s interests.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem declared the agreement “null and void” and said the group would continue resisting Israeli forces until they withdraw from Lebanese territory. Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah warned that efforts to implement the deal through forced disarmament could trigger internal conflict.

Danny Citrinowicz, a former Israeli military intelligence officer and regional analyst, said Hezbollah’s dismantlement was unlikely under current conditions and predicted that Israel would continue its military deployment while Hezbollah retained its weapons.

He argued that a narrower agreement focused on Hezbollah’s withdrawal north of the Litani River, combined with an expanded Lebanese army deployment, would have had greater prospects for implementation.

Mohammed Obeid, an analyst close to Hezbollah, also questioned the viability of the agreement, saying its provisions carried the potential to destabilize Lebanon by making state action against Hezbollah a prerequisite for implementation.

The issue emerged amid ongoing US-mediated talks in Washington aimed at reducing tensions along the Israeli-Lebanese border following the war between Israel and Hezbollah. Discussions have centered on a proposed “pilot zone” under which Israeli forces would transfer control of certain occupied Lebanese territories to the Lebanese Armed Forces.

A US official claimed Israel had already withdrawn from part of its self-declared buffer zone in southern Lebanon, calling it a significant demonstration of good faith. The official urged the Lebanese army to move into the area and remove Hezbollah weapons and infrastructure, suggesting the model could eventually be expanded across southern Lebanon.

However, senior Israeli defense officials firmly rejected the claim, stating that there had been no withdrawal and that Israeli forces would remain in the buffer zone. Israel’s military also confirmed that troop positions had not changed.

Lebanese military officials likewise disputed reports of any pullback, saying developments on the ground indicated the opposite. They accused Israel of continuing to enforce strict control over the buffer zone, preventing both civilians and Lebanese military personnel from entering.

According to Lebanese officials, disagreements persist over how the pilot zone proposal should be implemented. Beirut wants the initiative to begin within the Israeli-controlled buffer zone and seeks a clear roadmap for a full Israeli withdrawal. Israel, meanwhile, prefers to negotiate individual areas separately and has not committed to a timetable.

Israel established the buffer zone following its conflict with Hezbollah, arguing that it is necessary to protect northern Israeli communities from future attacks. Lebanese authorities maintain that the continued Israeli military presence violates Lebanese sovereignty and delays the return of displaced residents.

The conflicting statements underscore the challenges facing ongoing diplomatic efforts despite signs of progress in US-sponsored negotiations between the two countries.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported strikes near the Crusader-era fortress, while the Lebanese army said a drone strike wounded two soldiers near Nabatieh. Israeli forces have advanced in several areas south of the Litani River despite an April ceasefire.

Hezbollah said it fired rockets toward Kiryat Shmona and Safed in northern Israel in response to Israeli attacks. Lebanese officials said they would step up diplomatic efforts to halt Israeli military operations and evacuations in southern Lebanon.

The latest escalation comes a day after Lebanese and Israeli military officials held direct talks in Washington.

The national holiday marks May 25, 2000, when Israeli forces ended a 22-year presence in southern Lebanon following years of conflict. This year’s commemoration came amid continuing hostilities along the Israeli-Lebanese border, prompting Lebanese officials to emphasize the unresolved security situation in the south.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the anniversary should serve as a moment of national solidarity with families affected by the ongoing conflict, including those who have lost relatives, been wounded, displaced or remain in frontline communities.

In a statement posted on social media, Salam said Lebanon would reserve celebrations until Israeli forces had fully withdrawn from Lebanese territory and displaced residents could safely return to their homes.
President Joseph Aoun described the 2000 withdrawal as the result of sacrifices made by residents of southern Lebanon, calling the anniversary a symbol of national dignity.

He said, however, that the occasion was being observed amid continued military operations in southern villages and what he characterized as ongoing violations of international resolutions, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to securing a complete Israeli withdrawal through diplomatic negotiations while emphasizing the role of the Lebanese state and armed forces in safeguarding national sovereignty.

The statements came as tensions remained elevated in southern Lebanon. Residents of 10 villages were ordered to evacuate on Monday as bombardments continued and concerns mounted over a broader escalation along the border region.

According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry, Israeli airstrikes on Sunday killed at least 18 people and wounded 21 others. The ministry said the cumulative death toll linked to the conflict had reached 3,151.

The anniversary has long held symbolic significance in Lebanon’s modern history, marking the end of Israel’s military presence in most of southern Lebanon after more than two decades. This year, however, the observance reflected the extent to which renewed cross-border hostilities have reshaped the country’s political and security landscape.

Lebanese leaders used the occasion to underscore both the legacy of the 2000 withdrawal and the challenges posed by the current conflict, as military operations and civilian displacement continue to affect communities across the south.

The appeal came as Washington sought to advance direct diplomacy following two rounds of Lebanese-Israeli talks held this month in Washington, the first such high-level contacts in decades, after cross-border fighting involving Iran-backed Hezbollah escalated into a wider regional conflict in March.

President Donald Trump had announced a 10-day ceasefire beginning on April 17, later extending it by three weeks after the second round of discussions. He has said he hopes to host Aoun and Netanyahu “over the next couple of weeks” as both sides prepare for direct negotiations.

In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut said Lebanon faced a decisive moment and called for leadership from Beirut to move toward a broader political settlement.

“Lebanon stands at a crossroads. Its people have a historic opportunity to reclaim their country and shape their future as a truly sovereign, independent nation,” the embassy said.

It added that a direct meeting between Aoun and Netanyahu, facilitated by Trump, could secure guarantees on sovereignty, territorial integrity, border security, reconstruction support and the restoration of Lebanese state authority across all its territory.

The proposal has exposed divisions inside Lebanon, where Hezbollah has rejected direct negotiations with Israel and opposed Beirut’s previous commitment to disarm the group, a longstanding demand from Western governments and Israel.

Aoun said on Wednesday that Israel must first fully implement the ceasefire before negotiations could meaningfully proceed.“Israeli attacks cannot continue as they are,” he said, adding that Lebanon was waiting for the United States to set a date for the start of direct negotiations.

Israeli forces have continued military operations despite the truce, maintaining troop activity inside what officials describe as a “Yellow Line,” a zone extending roughly 10 km into southern Lebanon along the border.Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes on Thursday killed at least 17 people in the south, including five women and two children.

The Lebanese army said a separate strike killed one of its soldiers.Israel’s military also said one of its soldiers had been killed in southern Lebanon.

Aoun on Thursday condemned what he called Israel’s “continuing violations” of the ceasefire, citing airstrikes, demolitions of homes and places of worship, and attacks on civilians and emergency personnel.

Speaking to a delegation from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, he called for international pressure on Israel to halt attacks on civilians, paramedics, civil defense teams and humanitarian workers.

Three Lebanese civil defense personnel killed in Israeli strikes were buried on Thursday.Lebanon’s state news agency NNA reported multiple Israeli airstrikes across the south, while an Israeli military spokesperson issued evacuation warnings for more than 20 villages near the border.

Hezbollah said it carried out 10 attacks on Israeli military targets in southern Lebanon, including strikes on tanks and troop positions.In Beirut, dozens of residents from southern Lebanon and local officials gathered to protest what they described as the continued destruction of villages despite the ceasefire.

“We will not surrender and will not normalize,” protester Hanaa Ibrahim, 48, told AFP.The ceasefire text published by the U.S. State Department states that Israel retains the right to act against “planned, imminent or ongoing attacks,” language Hezbollah says was never formally presented to Lebanon’s cabinet.

Aoun said on Wednesday that the wording matched the November 2024 ceasefire agreement that ended the previous war and that all parties had accepted it at the time.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, a Hezbollah ally, rejected that account, calling Aoun’s remarks “inaccurate, to say the least,” and disputing that the same terms had been accepted in the earlier agreement.

Bukhari made the remarks during meetings in Beirut with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Deputy Head of the Higher Islamic Shiite Council Sheikh Ali Al-Khatib, and Druze spiritual leader Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna, as Saudi Arabia continues diplomatic engagement over Lebanon’s political and security crisis.

During his meeting with Derian, Bukhari said Riyadh remained committed to Lebanon’s unity and was working diplomatically to support solutions that reinforce security, stability and prosperity while backing Lebanese state institutions.

He said the Taif Accord, which ended Lebanon’s 1975-1990 civil war and restructured the country’s political system, remained the backbone of any sustainable national settlement.

Derian praised Saudi Arabia’s role in supporting Lebanon’s stability under what he described as exceptional circumstances and said rebuilding the Lebanese state was the only path toward national recovery.

He called for restoring state authority across all Lebanese territory, limiting weapons to the Lebanese army and reaffirming commitment to the Taif Agreement while strengthening national unity.

Derian also welcomed diplomatic efforts by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, supported by Arab and international partners, to end the war in Lebanon and secure a broader political settlement.

In a separate meeting with Al-Khatib, Bukhari expressed optimism about Lebanon’s future and said preserving civil peace required agreement among the country’s three top leaders on a shared national path.He praised Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri for what he described as wisdom and experience during critical political moments.

Bukhari also recalled late former parliament speaker Hussein Husseini, often regarded as a principal architect of the Taif Agreement, citing his well-known remark that “the alternative to Taif is implementing Taif.”

Al-Khatib said Saudi Arabia played an important role in maintaining civil peace in Lebanon and stressed that his side did not seek a separate political project.He added that Arab and Islamic states needed greater coordination to confront regional instability and said Saudi Arabia was central to any broader effort to strengthen regional cooperation while respecting national sovereignty.

Bukhari later met Abi Al-Muna to discuss continuing military operations in the region, efforts to stop the war in Lebanon, and Saudi diplomatic initiatives aimed at helping the country navigate its political and economic crisis.

The talks also covered the recent visit to Lebanon by Saudi Foreign Ministry adviser Yazid bin Farhan and broader efforts to preserve national unity and avoid further escalation.

Lebanese state media reported fresh Israeli strikes, while the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning for a building near the southern city of Tyre, signaling ongoing operations despite the broader regional truce.

Hezbollah, which entered the conflict by launching attacks on Israel on March 2, has not claimed any operations since early Wednesday. Three Lebanese sources close to the group told Reuters it had halted fire on northern Israel and Israeli forces in Lebanon as part of the ceasefire arrangement involving Iran.

The Israeli military said it “continues fighting and ground operations” against Hezbollah, underscoring that hostilities along the Lebanon front remain active.Lebanon’s army warned residents against returning to southern areas, citing ongoing Israeli attacks and the presence of advancing Israeli forces.

It urged civilians to avoid exposed zones until conditions stabilize.An AFP correspondent in the Tyre region reported limited civilian movement southward, despite the displacement of hundreds of thousands since the conflict expanded into Lebanon.

Hezbollah is expected to issue a formal statement clarifying its position on the ceasefire and Netanyahu’s assertion that Lebanon is excluded from the agreement, the Lebanese sources said.

French President Emmanuel Macron, while welcoming the U.S.-Iran ceasefire, said the situation in Lebanon remained critical and called for its inclusion in any broader de-escalation framework.