The discussions are taking place within the framework of a US-mediated ceasefire between West Jerusalem and Hezbollah, which has been active since November 2024
Israel and Lebanon have engaged in their first direct discussions in decades, occurring as part of a US-brokered ceasefire that brought an end to the conflict between the Jewish State and the military group Hezbollah.
Civilian delegates from both nations convened on Wednesday at the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping force in Naqoura, Lebanon, as reported by media citing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. This gathering, held under a mechanism established after the November 2024 truce, marked the first time civilian officials participated, rather than exclusively military officers.
A spokeswoman for Netanyahu characterized the meeting as “historic,” stating it represented an initial step towards potential future cooperation. The American Embassy in Beirut confirmed that Morgan Ortagus, the US special envoy for Lebanon, was also in attendance.
Earlier in the day, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam informed reporters that any future economic collaboration with Israel would only be possible after a peace agreement. “We are still far from that,” he remarked.
The talks were prompted by US pressure for direct engagement between the two neighboring countries as border tensions have escalated. West Jerusalem has repeatedly accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of breaching the ceasefire and attempting to rebuild its military capabilities.
The ceasefire concluded more than a year of cross-border hostilities that commenced after Hezbollah launched attacks on Israeli territory in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza. The clashes subsequently intensified into a full Israeli offensive, resulting in the deaths of senior Hezbollah figures, the destruction of weapons stockpiles, and significant civilian casualties.
Under the armistice terms, the Lebanese army is tasked with dismantling Hezbollah’s military infrastructure, but West Jerusalem has stated that the measures taken so far are insufficient and has intensified its strikes. Beirut has warned that Israeli airstrikes could draw the country into a “new war.”
Salam stated on Wednesday that the initial phase of bringing all weapons under state authority is contingent upon an Israeli withdrawal from occupied areas, and that Beirut is open to US and French verification of any remaining Hezbollah weapons caches in the south.
Netanyahu has consistently urged Lebanon to join the Abraham Accords, the agreement under which several Arab and Muslim states have normalized ties with Israel. Beirut has not endorsed this approach.
The most recent direct Israel-Lebanon talks took place in 1983 after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, producing an agreement that would have established relations but was never ratified.