FACTBOX – Key points in US-mediated framework between Israel, Lebanon

Lebanon and Israel signed a US-sponsored “framework deal” in Washington on Friday, concluding the fifth round of negotiations aimed at resolving outstanding disputes between the two sides, including Israel’s continued occupation of parts of southern Lebanon, Anadolu Agency reports. Details of the framework were not announced during the signing ceremony, but the full text was later published by the US Department of State. The framework affirms a shared goal of achieving “lasting peace and security” in Lebanon and declares the sides’ “ambition to end conflict between them, ensure the sovereignty and security of both countries, and establish peaceful neighborly relations between the two countries.” Israel continues to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during […]