Lebanon and Israel hold first direct talks in decades: Source to AFP

AFP , Wednesday 3 Dec 2025

Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks in decades on Wednesday, part of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism that ended Israel's escalation in Lebanon last year, a source close to the talks told AFP.

The Lebanese army shows an Israeli position (front) next to a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base (background), on the Lebanese side of the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, near the village of Labbouneh, as seen from Alma Al-Shaab. AFP

The meeting took place at the headquarters of the UN peacekeeping force in Naqura, Lebanon, near the Israeli border, and is part of a broader mechanism overseeing the ceasefire that began on Nov. 27, 2024.

Morgan Ortagus, the US special envoy for Lebanon, also attended Wednesday’s meeting, the source added. The United States has pressured Lebanon to quickly disarm Hezbollah, the only armed group in the country capable of challenging Israel’s dominance. Ortagus’s participation followed her visit to Jerusalem a day earlier, where she met Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. Israeli media reported she also met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Until now, Israel and Lebanon, which have no formal diplomatic relations, have insisted on keeping military officers in the talks. The United States has advocated for direct discussions between the two neighbors, seeking to isolate Hezbollah, which has been a staunch opponent of Israel in past conflicts.

Netanyahu’s office announced it was sending a civilian representative, Uri Resnick of the National Security Council, to meet Lebanese officials, calling it a first step toward establishing a basis for ties between the two countries. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s office confirmed Wednesday that its delegation would be led by former ambassador Simon Karam and had been informed that Israel would also include a “non-military member” in its delegation.

The appointment of a civilian representative on the Lebanese side follows Lebanon's declaration of readiness to engage in negotiations with its southern neighbor. Beirut does not officially recognize Israel, which has invaded Lebanese territory six times since 1978, and relations between the two countries remain highly sensitive.

Since the November 2024 ceasefire took effect, Israel has committed thousands of violations, with more than 10,000 reported by UNIFIL and 5,350 cited by Lebanese authorities by late November 2025. These violations, including repeated strikes, have killed over 330 people and wounded 945. Israel continues to occupy five positions in southern Lebanon, and the most recent attack was the fifth on Beirut’s southern suburbs last week.

Following one such strike, Hezbollah confirmed that its de facto military chief, Haytham Ali Tabatabai, was assassinated in the Nov. 23 attack on Beirut’s Haret Hreik neighborhood. Tabatabai, the highest-ranking commander killed since the ceasefire, was described by Hezbollah as “the great commander,” though his exact rank was not specified.

Hezbollah has resisted calls for disarmament, arguing that such a move would only serve Israel’s interests. The group maintains it needs to retain its weapons to defend Lebanon against Israeli threats and occupation until Israel fully withdraws from Lebanese territory.

The ceasefire was intended to end Israel’s bombing campaign across Lebanon, which had lasted more than a year following hostilities with Hezbollah that began in October 2023 when Israel launched its deadliest-ever war on the Gaza Strip.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.