US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (back-center) and others watch, as Israel's Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter (front-left), counselor Dan Holler (front-center), and Lebanon's Ambassador to the US Nada Hamadeh (front-right), sign a trilateral framework agreement, in Washington, DC, June 26, 2026.
(Beirut) – The Israel-Lebanon framework agreement signed in Washington on June 26, 2026, threatens to betray war crimes victims in Lebanon, Human Rights Watch and five human rights and press freedom organizations said today. Parts of the text appear to be aimed at preventing victims of serious international crimes from seeking justice before international forums. Others seem to acquiesce to the prolonged and indefinite forced displacement of tens of thousands of residents of vast swathes of southern Lebanon occupied by Israeli forces.
The agreement comes following months of hostilities resulting in immense civilian harm, including as a result of war crimes, violations of international humanitarian law, and gross human rights abuses. Yet, Clause 13 of the agreement commits the governments of Israel and Lebanon to the cessation of “all hostile or adverse actions in international political or legal fora.”
To the extent that this agreement is interpreted to prevent Lebanon and Israel from having recourse to international courts, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), it would contradict the countries’ international legal obligations to pursue accountability for serious international crimes committed on their territories. The agreement does not appear to commit Israel to halt any initiatives in international forums against Hezbollah.
Clause 3 further violates international law and the prohibition of forced displacement, conditioning the return of residents to specified zones along the border, currently occupi
