Al-Modon Publishes Draft Letter Of Intent Between Israel And Lebanon Under U.S. Support

A draft “Letter of Intent” published by Al-Modon describes negotiations between Israel and the Lebanese Republic under U.S. support led by President Donald Trump, including a commitment to “restores full Lebanese sovereignty over all Lebanese territory.”

The draft says Israel “commits to withdrawing from all Lebanese territory,” while Lebanon “preserves the state's monopoly on the use of force” and requires that “no non-government armed groups have any military or security role or armed capabilities anywhere in Lebanon.”

Al-Jazeera Net

It also states that the Israel Defense Forces “will hand over all occupied Lebanese territories to the Lebanese Armed Forces,” in parallel with reconstruction efforts and “so that Lebanese citizens displaced can safely return to the redeveloped south.”

The draft further frames UNIFIL’s end by stating that “the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) will end on December 31, 2026,” with the UN Secretary-General exploring options by June 1, 2026.

In parallel, The Magazine published the full provisions of the same draft, saying the provisions were discussed during Lebanese-Israeli negotiations under American sponsorship and that the two parties would work toward “a comprehensive agreement that ends the conflict.”

Sky News Arabia reported that Israeli forces for the first time published a map of its new deployment line inside Lebanon, extending control over dozens of Lebanese villages that are “most of which are now depopulated.”

The map’s deployment line runs “about 5 to 10 kilometers from the border into Lebanese territory,” where Israel says it intends to create what it describes as the buffer zone.

An-Nahar

The Israeli army said in a statement accompanying the map that “five brigades, along with the Israeli Navy, are operating simultaneously south of the front line in southern Lebanon,” aiming to dismantle Hezbollah’s infrastructure sites and prevent direct threats to residential areas in northern Israel.

The report adds that Israel and Lebanon agreed last Thursday on a ceasefire brokered by the United States after the first direct talks in decades between Israel and Lebanon on April 14.

It also notes that “No comments have yet been issued by Lebanese officials or by the Iran-backed Hezbollah group,” as the map and deployment line were released days after the ceasefire went into effect.

El País reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged that the Israeli army has deployed in new “strategic zones” in Lebanon beyond the territory previously occupied, describing it as part of the war against Hezbollah.

The article says Netanyahu told a security cabinet meeting that “we are intensifying our operation in Lebanon,” and that “large ground forces” are operating to take control of “strategic zones” to curb the threat of Hezbollah’s drones.

El País also states that this was the first time since the nominal ceasefire began in Lebanon on April 17 that Israeli authorities admitted expanding the occupation of the country.

In the same report, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Strait of Hormuz must remain open “one way or another,” and that resolving discrepancies in the initial draft will take “a few days.”

The El País piece ties the operational shift to drone countermeasures, saying Netanyahu’s rationale included neutralizing places from which Hezbollah guides FPV drones that “do not operate with radio signals but with fiber-optic cables.”