Hezbollah's Exclusion from Israel-Lebanon Talks Leaves Framework's Fate Uncertain

Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement on June 26, brokered by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but Hezbollah—the Iran-backed militia that waged the last major conflict with Israel—sat out every negotiating round. The Lebanese government and Washington deliberately excluded the group. Whether Lebanon's Armed Forces can enforce the agreement in southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah operates and retains military capacity, remains unresolved.