BEIRUT: Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades on Wednesday under the auspices of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism, though Lebanon’s premier cautioned the new diplomatic contact did not amount to broader peace discussions.
The two sides met at the UN peacekeeping force’s headquarters in Lebanon’s Naqura near the border with Israel, where the guarantors of the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah regularly convene.
Lebanon and Israel have technically been at war since 1948, but Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the new discussions were strictly limited to fully implementing last year’s truce.
“We are not yet at peace talks,” Salam told journalists, including AFP, on Wednesday.
He said the talks only sought “the cessation of hostilities,” the “release of Lebanese hostages” and “the complete Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanon.
Israel has kept up regular air strikes in Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah members and facilities, and it has kept troops in five areas in the south despite the ceasefire’s stipulation that it pull out entirely.
Until now, Israel and Lebanon, which have no formal diplomatic relations, had insisted on limiting participation in the ceasefire mechanism to military officers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the atmosphere at the talks was “positive,” and that there had been agreement “to develop ideas to promote potential economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.”
Israel also made it clear it was “essential” that Lebanese militant group Hezbollah disarm regardless of any progress in economic cooperation, the premier’s office added.
The ceasefire mechanism is orchestrated by the United States, and also includes the involvement of France and the UN.
‘Normalization will follow peace’
The US embassy in Beirut said in a statement that Morgan Ortagus, the US special envoy for Lebanon, also attended Wednesday’s meeting.
The United States has been piling pressure on Lebanon to rapidly disarm Hezbollah.
Washington’s embassy welcomed the inclusion of the civilian representatives — former Lebanese ambassador to the US Simon Karam and Israeli National Security Council official Uri Resnick — in the ceasefire mechanism.
“Their inclusion reflects the Mechanism’s commitment to facilitating political and military discussions with the aim of achieving security, stability, and a durable peace for all communities affected by the conflict,” it said.
Ortagus was in Jerusalem a day earlier, where she met with Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar.
The United States has pushed for direct talks between the two neighbors in a bid to stabilize the region and further weaken Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Salam on Wednesday said Lebanon was “open to verification by the mechanism” when it came to its army’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah in the country’s south.
Lebanon has declared itself ready for negotiations with its southern neighbor.
Netanyahu has repeatedly said Lebanon should join the Abraham Accords, under which a handful of Arab and Muslim countries have normalized ties with Israel.
But Salam said on Wednesday that “normalization will follow peace. It cannot precede peace.”
Ramped-up strikes
The new talks came days after the first anniversary of the start of the fragile truce between Israel and Hezbollah.
The ceasefire sought to end over a year of hostilities that erupted after the militant group launched attacks in support of its Palestinian ally Hamas in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite the truce, saying it seeks to stop the group from rebuilding its military capabilities.
Under a government-approved plan, the Lebanese army is set to dismantle Hezbollah’s military infrastructure south of the Litani river by the end of the year, before tackling the rest of the country.
Judging the Lebanese efforts insufficient, Israel has ramped up its strikes in recent weeks.
Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported Tuesday that Israel has been preparing for a “significant escalation” with Hezbollah, deemed “inevitable” despite Washington’s efforts.
