Summary: Lebanon and Israel concluded the framework agreement after five rounds of negotiations, which stipulates in particular the disarmament of Hezbollah and the gradual withdrawal of Israel from the territories it infiltrated in southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army starting from two 'pilot zones'.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz informed his US counterpart Pete Hegseth on Thursday that Israel is determined to keep its forces in the 'security zones' it established inside Lebanon, Syria, and the Gaza Strip. A statement from the Israeli minister's office said that Katz confirmed to Hegseth during a conversation between them at night 'Israel's determination to remain in the security zones in Syria, Gaza, and Lebanon to protect Israel's borders and the communities near the border from threats of militant forces'.

The statement from Katz's office added, 'We have never asked the United States to act on our behalf along our borders.' It continued, 'We are determined to defend the residents of Israel against any threat, and this is exactly what we intend to do.'

For its part, the Israeli army said it killed three Hezbollah members in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, shortly after a round of talks between Tel Aviv and Beirut held under US auspices in Rome.

A statement from the Israeli army said its forces spotted 'three armed saboteurs from the terrorist Hezbollah organization in the Beit Yahun area, inside the security zone' declared by Israel in southern Lebanon, and added 'Immediately after spotting them, troops of the 401st Brigade eliminated the three saboteurs who were carrying combat equipment, in order to remove the threat to our forces.'

Israeli forces occupy areas, having established a 'security zone' extending about 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory.

On Wednesday, Lebanon and Israel concluded a two-day round of negotiations, during which they agreed to complete arrangements stipulated in an agreement concluded between them in June.

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Lebanon and Israel concluded the framework agreement after five rounds of negotiations, which stipulates in particular the disarmament of Hezbollah and the gradual withdrawal of Israel from the territories it infiltrated in southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army starting from two 'pilot zones'.

The two sides agreed on Wednesday to complete the structure of pilot zones and begin implementing them within days, according to a statement from the US Embassy in Beirut.

The war engulfed Lebanon after a rocket attack by Hezbollah on the Hebrew state on March 2, in response to the killing of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ali Khamenei, in the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Israel responded with a broad campaign of airstrikes and a ground invasion.

While the pace of mutual strikes between Israel and Hezbollah has decreased since June, Israeli forces continue to carry out raids and demolition operations in southern Lebanon.