Lebanon and Israel, under U.S. sponsorship, signed an agreement on Friday hoping to end hostilities between them, but experts say it does not guarantee Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon and its implementation depends on Hezbollah and its backer Iran.

Lebanon took the historic step of negotiating directly with Israel despite them having no diplomatic relations, as a reaction to Tehran-backed Hezbollah drawing the country into the Middle East war on March 2.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday welcomed the U.S.-Israel-Lebanon framework agreement as a "critical step" away from conflict in the Middle East.

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem condemned the U.S.-Israel-Lebanon framework agreement on Saturday, saying it is a major mistake by the government and that his group deems it null and void.

The Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike on Saturday targeting suspected militants in the Nabatieh area of southern Lebanon, the first such attack since Washington announced a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

The Israeli military said it killed seven Hezbollah militants who had operated near its so-called "security zone" in southern Lebanon on Friday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would remain in south Lebanon until Hezbollah disarms, shortly after the announcement in Washington of a framework agreement with the United States and Lebanon.

President Joseph Aoun said a deal signed with Israel on Friday was a first step towards fully restoring Lebanon's sovereignty after the latest war between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah.

"The framework agreement signed today is a first step" that will enable Lebanese "to return to their fully liberated lands, and to their certainly rebuilt homes... under the sovereignty of the Lebanese state that has no partner in its sovereignty over its land and people," Aoun said according to a statement released by his office.

Iran on Saturday accused the United States of violating the peace deal agreed to end the Middle East war, after Washington launched strikes on Iranian territory and Tehran responded with attacks on U.S. targets in the Gulf.

Hezbollah supporters took to the streets of Beirut late Friday to protest an agreement between Israel and Lebanon, as a lawmaker from the Iran-backed group warned enforcing the deal risked sparking civil war.

Hezbollah lawmaker Hassan Fadlallah said that Lebanese officials who signed a framework agreement with Israel on Friday in Washington could not enforce the deal without sparking a civil war.