Israeli bombing reported near Lebanon-Israel border

Lebanon’s National News Agency reports Israeli airstrikes killed two people and wounded a third in southern Lebanon, while Israeli soldiers bulldozed and burned homes in the town of Markaba, located 1.5km (1 mile) from the Israel-Lebanon border.

The report comes after Israel and Lebanon signed a “framework agreement” in Washington that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described as a “first step” in the negotiations.

Notably, at the signing ceremony for the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon in Washington on Friday, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the deal as “the beginning of the beginning”.

“There is a lot of work ahead,” Rubio said. “Today is the first step. The first step is sometimes the hardest one.”

US had facilitated the direct talks, which started in April, and is also part of what is officially a three-party agreement.

However, the deal does not require Israel to withdraw from the large areas of southern Lebanon that it still occupies. Israel has also indicated it may continue strikes in Lebanon if it considers them necessary.

Israel has been at war with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group since October 2023, with varying levels of intensity, and more than 4,000 people have been killed in Lebanon since March.

US Senator Marco Rubio said the agreement “establishes a clear and structured process” to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah, and dismantle its armed network, while also allowing Israel to return to its borders once the threat is removed.

He added that a joint military coordination group would be created so both sides can carry out the plan.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the agreement aims to secure Israel’s withdrawal from all Lebanese land.

However, he also said it mostly continues earlier agreements and UN resolutions that require the Lebanese army to control all of Lebanon, which is a challenge for both Israel and Hezbollah.

After the signing, the US State Department released the full text of the deal. It describes a step-by-step process where the Lebanese army will regain full control over all territory once non-state armed groups like Hezbollah are disarmed.

Only after that will Israel gradually pull back from Lebanon.

The plan also includes two initial “pilot areas” for Israeli withdrawal, where the Lebanese army will slowly take over security duties.

Once disarmament is confirmed in those areas, the Lebanese army will fully control them, reconstruction work will begin with international support, and civilians will be able to return safely under Lebanese state authority.