Civil representative of Lebanon And Israel joined a US-chaired ceasefire monitoring committee session in Nakora, the first direct talks between the two countries in more than four decades.
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday that Beirut is ready to negotiate beyond security issues, but that these are not peace talks and underlined that “normalization is linked to the peace process”.
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Salam said the negotiations were only aimed at “ceasing hostilities”, “liberating Lebanese hostages” and “complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory”.
Salam said Lebanon remains committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative – which offers full normalization of relations with Israel in return for a full withdrawal from territory captured in 1967 – and has no intention of concluding a separate peace treaty with Israel.
The involvement of civilian envoys could help “reduce tensions”, he said Deadly Israeli airstrikes There are clear signs of increasing growth recently.
The committee convened for about three hours on the Blue Line – the border between Lebanon and Israel.
A statement issued afterward hailed the inclusion of civilian envoys as an “important step” in anchoring the process in “permanent civilian as well as military dialogue,” and the committee hoped to “enhance peace” along the long-volatile border.
‘Renewal Growth’
The United States has for months urged both sides to expand the committee’s scope beyond monitoring a 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The latest meeting comes amid growing fears of renewed escalation after Israeli airstrikes on Lebanon’s capital last month.
Israel continues regular airstrikes in Lebanon, usually targeting Hezbollah members and facilities it says, and maintains troops in five southern areas despite a cease-fire.
In an online briefing to reporters, Israeli government spokesman Shosh Bedrossian called Wednesday’s meeting a “historic event.”
“This direct meeting between Israel and Lebanon is a result of Prime Minister (Benjamin) Netanyahu’s efforts to change the face of the Middle East. As the Prime Minister has said, there are unique opportunities to build peace with our neighbors,” Bedrosian said.
Appointments are scrutinized
Lebanon’s presidential office announced that Simon Karam, a lawyer and former ambassador to Washington in the early 1990s, will represent Beirut in the afternoon session along with US Ambassador Morgan Ortagus.
He was appointed after consultation between the President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Parliament, a statement said.
Karam’s inclusion drew criticism from some political actors in Lebanon who see the move as a concession. Salam defended the decision saying it was politically correct and had national support.
He accused Netanyahu of overstating the appointment, stressing that Beirut was not entering into peace negotiations.
Earlier, after the Lebanese president announced the decision, Netanyahu framed Karam’s participation as “the first attempt to establish a foundation for relations and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.”
Netanyahu’s office said Israel sent the deputy head of the foreign policy department on its National Security Council to the meeting, describing the session as part of an ongoing US-brokered dialogue.
Disarmament of Hezbollah
Salam said Lebanon is open to expanding the committee’s mandate to directly verify Israeli claims that Hezbollah is rearming, as well as to monitor efforts by the Lebanese army to destroy the group’s infrastructure.
Asked if that might include French or US troops on the ground, he replied, “Of course”.
Political and diplomatic pressure to disarm Hezbollah is mounting. Israel and the United States have been pressing the group to hand over its weapons after it launched attacks on Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel’s genocidal war More than 70,000 people have been killed.
Hezbollah has rejected demands for disarmament, describing the demands as a joint US-Israeli effort to weaken Lebanon. Last week, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem suggested that the Lebanese state had failed to protect the south of the country from Israeli bombardment.
Kasem says the group has a right to it Response to Israel’s Killing Its top military chief in an attack on Beirut’s southern suburbs last week. The Lebanese bloc has repeatedly rejected any negotiations with Israel as a “trap”.
While the Israelis called on Hezbollah to disarm, Salam said on Wednesday, “We have received Israeli messages suggesting a possible escalation, but without a specific timeline … Ambassadors visiting Beirut believe the situation is dangerous and could deteriorate”.
He reiterated that Hezbollah must lay down its weapons, calling it “one of the essential elements” for participation in state-building. The group’s arsenal “did not deter Israel and did not protect Lebanon,” he argued, adding that the government had “regained control over war and peace”.
Lebanon, “will not allow adventures that drag us into another war. We must learn from the experience of supporting Gaza,” Salam said.