Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement after US-brokered talks

But shortly after the signing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israeli forces would remain in southern Lebanon until Hezbollah disarms. The Israeli army is currently occupying around 5% of the country's territory.He said Israel was "allowing the Lebanese army to begin organising to take over some territory" in two pilot zones - one south of the Litani River and another north of it.Hezbollah is not party to Friday's agreement, and it is unclear whether it will agree to withdraw its fighters from the South Litani area in southern Lebanon.Israeli strikes on targets in southern Lebanon have threatened to derail efforts to settle the conflict in the Middle East.US President Donald Trump on one occasion held a terse phone call with Netanyahu, in which he reportedly uttered an expletive. He also publicly criticized Netanyahu and Israel's conduct in the conflict.While Trump has insisted that Israel has a right to defend itself from Hezbollah rocket strikes on its territories, he has also claimed he can "control Israel from attacking Lebanon"."They have a lot of respect for me," Trump told Axios in an interview last week. "They do as I say."Lebanon was drawn into the war between the US and Israel against Iran on 2 March, when Hezbollah launched rockets into Israel in retaliation for an Israeli strike that killed Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded with an air campaign across Lebanon and a ground invasion in the south.