From the Liveblog of
Friday, June 26, 2026
Rubio says Israel-Lebanon deal will ‘enable Israel to return to its borders’
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issues a statement offering some details on the yet-to-be-publicized terms of the framework agreement signed earlier today by Israel and Lebanon.
“This agreement establishes a clear and structured process to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure and enable Israel to return to its borders once that threat to its citizens is removed,” Rubio says.
“It also creates a trilateral Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), facilitated by the United States, allowing the two sides to implement this framework,” he continues. “For Lebanon, this framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis. For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border.”
Rubio announces an “immediate” $100 million donation by the US toward humanitarian assistance in coordination with the UN.
He says the Defense Department is also “prepared to reimburse the Lebanese Armed Forces with more than $30 million under existing authorities and appropriations to support the president’s vision for an enduring peace in Lebanon.”
The Trump administration’s latest budget proposal to Congress earmarks some $36 million for the Lebanese Armed Forces — a significant decrease from previous years when the sum ranged between $100 and $200 million. The administration has been seeking to cut costs, but it’s unclear how this particular slash aligns with its efforts to bolster the Lebanese army so that it can disarm Hezbollah.
The Times of Israel Community.