Israel said a Friday meeting involving civilian and military representatives from both Lebanon and Israel was part of broader efforts to ensure Hezbollah’s disarmament and strengthen security in border areas.
It was the second time civilian representatives from both countries had taken part in a meeting as part of the committee monitoring implementation of the year-old Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.
The committee also includes the United States, France and the United Nations.
The meeting took place near Lebanon’s border with Israel and was closed to the press.
“Today, a meeting of the international mechanism — under American auspices — between Israel and Lebanon took place in Naqoura as planned,” a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office read.
“The meeting is a continuation of the security dialogue aimed at ensuring the disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese army,” it added.
The statement said the meeting included “ways to promote economic projects… in order to underscore the mutual interest in removing the Hezbollah threat and ensuring sustainable security for residents on both sides of the border.”
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he met with civilian representative Simon Karam after the committee meeting, and emphasised “the priority of the return of the residents of the border villages to their villages, homes and land as an entry point to discussing all other details”.
Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah clashed for more than a year after the outbreak of the war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
The hostilities escalated into two months of full-blown war, which a November 2024 ceasefire sought to end.
Lebanese border areas were devastated by the war, with tens of thousands of people still displaced.
– ‘Lasting peace’ –
In a statement, the US embassy in Beirut also said Israeli and Lebanese civilian and military representatives met on Friday.
“Together, participants reaffirmed that progress on security and political tracks remain mutually reinforcing and essential to ensuring long-term stability and prosperity for both parties,” it said.
The statement added that military participants gave “operational updates and remained focused on deepening the military-to-military cooperation by finding ways to increase coordination”.
“Civilian participants, in parallel, focused on setting conditions for residents to return safely to their homes, advancing reconstruction, and addressing economic priorities,” the embassy added.
It said they also “underscored that durable political and economic progress is essential to reinforcing security gains and sustaining lasting peace”.
Israel has repeatedly bombed the country despite the truce, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure to prevent the group rearming.
Earlier this month, Lebanon and Israel agreed to send civilian representatives to the committee’s meetings, a move Aoun has said was to avoid another war.
Hezbollah strongly rejected the decision.
Fearing further escalation and facing US diplomatic pressure, Lebanon approved a plan for its army to disarm Hezbollah south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the border with Israel, by the end of the year.
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© Agence France-Presse
