Border residents cautiously optimistic on Israel's latest deal with Lebanon

(27 Jun 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ++CLIENTS NOTE: LOCATION FOR SHOT 1, 12 AND 13 WAS UPDATED IN SHOTLIST TO "SOUTHERN LEBANON SEEN FROM NORTHERN ISRAEL++ ASSOCIATED PRESS Southern Lebanon seen from Northern Israel - 27 June 2026 1. Various of destroyed houses in southern Lebanon as seen from northern Israel ASSOCIATED PRESS Metsula, Israel - 27 June 2026 2. Various of Israelis looking over the border to southern Lebanon from the town of Metula 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ronit Belson, Israeli visiting Metula: "If we can empower the government of Lebanon to really be able to control the southern part of Lebanon, that's how we should go about it. Iran should be out of the equation. It should be Israel, the government of Lebanon, the US, and other external forces that will be able to fight alongside or to work alongside the Lebanese army." 4. Israelis looking over the border and talking about the agreement 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ronit Belson, Israeli visiting Metula: "It really, it really depends, right? It depends how do we empower the Lebanese military. If it's just the Lebanese military will get into these areas, the Israeli military will pull out. Personally, I don't think it will be lasting, because they... the Lebanese military cannot really stand a chance against Hezbollah." 6. Israel-Lebanese border 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Amir Raz, Israeli visiting Metula: "I am spectacle that Hezbollah will be disarmed. And, we should keep it (security zone) as long as we need to keep it, or maybe as long as we will be allowed to keep it." 8. Pan of Israelis looking over the border 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Shlomi Shlam, Israeli visiting Metula: "We hope that the government of Lebanon will keep the area quiet, but unfortunately we have here 77 years of experience which they couldn't do it until now, so we have to do it for them. But we hope that this time they will, but we have experience." 10. Various of Israelis looking over the border to southern Lebanon 11. SOUNDBITE (English) Yossi Malki, Israeli visiting Metula: "I do not think the Lebanese army will be able to take control of the Israeli-Lebanese border because I think that they are not willing to go on a full conflict with Hezbollah." ASSOCIATED PRESS Southern Lebanon seen from Northern Israel - 27 June 2026 12. Various of houses destroyed in southern Lebanon 13. Israel-Lebanese border STORYLINE: Israelis expressed hope and skepticism on Saturday for the Israel and Lebanon framework agreement which was signed on Friday Ronit Belson while visiting Israeli border town of Metula and said, Lebanese military "cannot really stand a chance" against Hezbollah. And, there is a need to "empower the government of Lebanon" for this agreement to succeed. Shlomi Shlam said that we have "77 years of experience" that government of Lebanon has not been able to control Hezbollah. "We hope that this time they will." On Friday, the agreement was signed in front of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio by Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, and Nada Hamadeh Moawad, the Lebanese ambassador to the United States. The U.S. State Department said the framework establishes a process for dismantling Hezbollah and for Lebanon to regain territory that was taken by Israeli forces as they battled the militant group. The U.S. will facilitate a newly created “Military Coordination Group for Lebanon” to implement the framework, the State Department said, while committing $100 million in humanitarian assistance. AP Video by Shlomo Mor Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...