Lebanon, Israel hold first direct talks in decades

AFP | Beirut

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Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks yesterday in decades, part of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism in the war with militant group Hezbollah, a source close to the talks told AFP.

The meeting was taking place at the UN peacekeeping force’s headquarters in Lebanon Naqura near the border with Israel, the source said, as part of a mechanism to oversee the ceasefire that took hold in November 2024.

Morgan Ortagus, the US special envoy for Lebanon, also attended Wednesday’s meeting, the source added. The United States has been piling pressure on Lebanon to rapidly disarm Hezbollah.

Ortagus’s participation came a day after her visit to Jerusalem where she met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar. Israeli media said she also met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Until now Israel and Lebanon, which have no formal diplomatic relations, had insisted on keeping military officers in the role.

The United States has pushed for direct talks between the two neighbours in a bid to stabilise the region and further weaken Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Netanyahu’s office announced he was sending a civilian representative to meet officials in Lebanon, in what it called a first attempt to establish a basis for ties between the two countries.

Lebanese President Joseph’s Aoun office also said yesterday that his delegation would be led by former ambassador Simon Karam and that it had been informed that Israel would include “a non-military member in its delegation.”

The appointment of a civilian on the Lebanese side came after Lebanon declared itself ready for negotiations with its southern neighbour.

Netanyahu has repeatedly indicated that Lebanon should join the Abraham Accords, under which a handful of Arab and Muslim countries have normalised ties with Israel.