Newspaper Reveals Details of Secret Annex in the Israeli-Lebanese Agreement

SadaNews - A source familiar with the terms of the agreement told the "Times of Israel" on Sunday that the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, signed last week, explicitly maintains full freedom for the Israeli army to operate against threats within the security zone in southern Lebanon.

According to the official, the secret security annex to the agreement reached in Washington also stipulates that there will be no automatic withdrawals of Israeli forces, despite Israel's ongoing concerns that Iranian pressures through negotiations with the United States could hinder the implementation of the agreement.

The official indicated, confirming an uncredited report from Channel 12 in Israel, that the security annex referenced in the public text of the agreement has been classified as secret at the request of the Lebanese government.

Article four of the annex includes a clause that grants the Israeli army the freedom to act against emerging and immediate threats within the security zone, a clause that Israel considers a top priority given fears that Washington-Tehran negotiations could limit its ability to respond to threats faced by its forces from Hezbollah.

The same article also stipulates a clear commitment from both parties, Israel and Lebanon, not to carry out any automatic withdrawal or according to specific timetables, but that any redeployment operations will be based on field developments.

The main agreement also states that the withdrawal will be "linked to performance".

According to the details, the annex also specifies that the two trial withdrawal zones announced on Saturday will be the only ones at the current stage, with no near expansion of this arrangement.

Israeli estimates indicate that the experimental project, under which Lebanese forces will enter these two areas after training and security checks, will take several weeks to implement, while the Lebanese army prepares to take responsibility there.

Israel remains concerned that Iran may attempt to undermine this understanding through its parallel talks with Washington, by pressuring the United States to demand a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon as part of a broader agreement, according to the official citing the Channel 12 report.

The framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon aims to pave the way towards a potential peace agreement between the adversaries who have engaged in long-standing conflicts in the Middle East.

The agreement includes an experimental project in which the Lebanese army will take control of small areas that were under Israeli army control, in addition to a path aimed at disarming Hezbollah, which immediately rejected the agreement, while Israel confirmed that it would continue to act against the Iran-backed organization.

Israeli Chief of Staff General Eyal Zamir described the agreement with Lebanon on Sunday as "historic and important," noting that military achievements "are what created the necessary conditions for it".

Zamir stated: "We will adhere to the agreement and work to ensure its success. The test now is one of action from both parties, and the next stage will determine the future".

Zamir visited the Northern Command to endorse future operational plans in Lebanon as the army prepares for a partial withdrawal within the agreement.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah warned of "internal conflict" in Lebanon due to the agreement, predicting that it would not be implemented.

Fadlallah's statements came a day after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump, affirming that the Lebanese state "will bear its responsibilities" in implementing the agreement, without mentioning Hezbollah or disarming it.

Lebanon entered a wider war on March 2 when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in support of Iran, prompting Israel to respond with intensive airstrikes and a ground invasion in southern Lebanon, where its forces control large parts of the territory and conduct extensive demolition operations, claiming that the infrastructure is used by Hezbollah to enhance its capabilities at the border.