Peace with Lebanon? Israeli and Lebanese diplomats to meet for talks

For the first time, Israeli and Lebanese civilian diplomats will meet for talks as the two countries attempt to establish direct ties.

By World Israel News Staff

The Israeli government has dispatched a delegation to take part in ceasefire talks in Lebanon led by the United States, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office announced Wednesday.

In a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, Israel revealed that for the first time ever, a civilian official will take part in talks with Lebanese representatives.

According to the statement, Uri Resnick of the National Security Council has been tapped to lead the Israeli delegation for talks with Lebanese officials in Naqoura, near the Israeli border.

While the talks are primarily focused on efforts by the US-led ceasefire committee – which is tasked with monitoring and implementing the November 2024 truce – to prevent a major escalation between Israel and Hezbollah, Netanyahu’s office said the talks would also serve as an opportunity to establish “economic cooperation” between the two countries.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has instructed the acting director of the National Security Council to send a representative on his behalf to a meeting with government-economic elements in Lebanon,” the PMO said.

“This is an initial attempt to establish a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.”

Morgan Ortagus, President Donald Trump’s deputy special envoy to the Middle East, is expected to arrive in Lebanon on Wednesday to lead the talks, which will include delegations not only from Israel, Lebanon, and the US but also France and the United Nations peacekeeping force that operates on the Israel-Lebanon border.

A spokeswoman for Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said that Beirut would be represented in the talks by former Ambassador to Washington Simon Karam.

Wednesday’s meeting comes amid growing concerns that the November 2024 ceasefire may soon collapse, given Hezbollah’s ongoing refusal to disarm and Beirut’s failure to set a timetable for dismantling the Iranian-backed group’s arsenal – key provisions in the truce agreement.

Israel has scaled up its operations against Hezbollah over the past few weeks, including a November 23 airstrike on a Beirut apartment used by Hezbollah’s chief of staff, Haytham Ali Tabatabai.

The senior Hezbollah official and four other members of the group were killed, while 28 other people were injured.

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