Lebanon and Israel Hold First Direct Civilian Talks in Decades

JERUSALEM: Lebanese and Israeli civilian officials met directly on Wednesday for the first time in decades, according to a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The meeting took place at the UN peacekeeping mission’s base in Naqura, Lebanon, as part of a ceasefire monitoring framework established following the November 2024 truce in the conflict with Hezbollah.

Previously, both countries which lack formal diplomatic ties had limited these discussions to military officers. This week’s meeting marked a shift, bringing civilian representatives into the process.

Shosh Bedrosian, spokesperson for Netanyahu, described the gathering as “an initial attempt to establish a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon. This is a historic development,” adding that “this is the first step to paving a path with Lebanon, and it’s clear the Lebanese recognise the economic challenges they are facing.”

The US Embassy in Beirut confirmed that Morgan Ortagus, the American special envoy for Lebanon, participated in the discussions. Washington has been pressing Lebanon to swiftly disarm Hezbollah and endorsed the introduction of civilian delegates former Lebanese ambassador to the US Simon Karam and Israel’s National Security Council official Uri Resnick to the monitoring process. The embassy said, “Their inclusion reflects the Mechanism’s commitment to facilitating political and military discussions to achieve security, stability, and a durable peace for all communities affected by the conflict.”

Ortagus had met with Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Jerusalem the previous day, as the US continues encouraging direct engagement between the neighboring countries in hopes of reducing regional tensions and further isolating Iran-backed Hezbollah.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office noted that Karam would lead the Lebanese delegation and that Beirut had been informed Israel would also include “a non-military member in its delegation.” Lebanon affirmed its readiness to negotiate with Israel.

Netanyahu has repeatedly urged Lebanon to join the Abraham Accords, the series of normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab and Muslim states. The last major direct talks between Israel and Lebanon occurred in 1983 after Israel’s invasion, producing an agreement on relations that ultimately went unratified.