Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held rare face-to-face talks on Wednesday, joining a session of the U.S.-chaired ceasefire monitoring committee in Naqoura.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Beirut is willing to engage in negotiations that extend beyond immediate security concerns, but stressed that the talks do not amount to peace negotiations.
“These are not peace talks,” Salam said, emphasizing that normalisation would only follow a comprehensive peace process. He outlined Lebanon’s objectives as the cessation of hostilities, the release of Lebanese hostages, and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanese territory.
Reaffirming Lebanon’s stance, Salam said the country remains committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which offers full normalisation with Israel in exchange for its withdrawal from all lands occupied in 1967. Lebanon, he added, will not pursue a separate bilateral peace deal.
Salam noted that the inclusion of civilian envoys for the first time could help “defuse tensions”, pointing to recent Israeli air strikes—including deadly attacks last month—as signs of escalating danger.
The committee met for roughly three hours along the Blue Line, the de facto frontier between the two countries. A joint statement afterward welcomed the involvement of civilian representatives as an “important step” toward building lasting civilian and military dialogue, expressing hope that the effort would “nurture peace” along the historically volatile border.
The United States, which has been urging both parties for months to expand the committee’s mandate beyond monitoring the 2024 Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire, pushed for the direct talks amid growing concerns of renewed conflict.
Israel has continued frequent air strikes in Lebanon, asserting they target Hezbollah infrastructure, and has kept troops in five southern areas despite ceasefire terms requiring a full withdrawal.
Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian hailed Wednesday’s talks as a “historic development”.
“This direct meeting between Israel and Lebanon took place as a result of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to change the face of the Middle East,” Bedrosian said, adding that “unique opportunities” exist to advance peace with neighboring countries.
The meeting marks the first direct dialogue between the two countries in more than four decades, occurring as fears of a broader regional conflict intensify.
