Israel, Lebanon and the United States have signed a framework agreement under which Israeli forces will withdraw from two areas in southern Lebanon.

Axar.az reports, citing CNN, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israel Defense Forces would leave two positions it "does not need"—one north of the Litani River and another to the south—while maintaining a presence in other occupied areas until Hezbollah is disarmed.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the deal "the beginning of the beginning."

"There's a lot of work ahead. We don't, in any way, underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead. But we understand the importance of it," Rubio said.

Lebanon's ambassador to the United States, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, described the agreement as "the first step on the road to restoring Lebanese sovereignty and territorial integrity."

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadallah rejected the talks, saying, "Whoever shakes hands with the enemy is a criminal like them," and urged the Lebanese government to reverse the negotiations.