The US-chaired ceasefire monitoring committee’s session in Naqoura brought together civil representatives from Lebanon and Israel, marking the first direct exchanges between the two nations in more than 40 years.
Nawaf Salam, the leader of Lebanon, stated on Wednesday that Beirut is willing to engage in negotiations that go beyond security concerns and that normalization is dependent on a peace process.
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According to Salam, these discussions are merely aimed at “the cessation of hostilities,” the release of Lebanese hostages, and “the complete Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanese territory.
Salam claimed that Lebanon had no intention of striking a separate peace agreement with Israel despite its continued support for the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which demands a full normalization of relations with Israel in exchange for its complete withdrawal from the 1967 occupied territory.
He claimed that the presence of civilian envoys could “defuse tensions,” noting recent Israeli airstrikes as a sure sign of rising escalation.
Along the Blue Line, the border between Israel and Lebanon, the committee met for roughly three hours.
The committee hoped to “nurture peace” along the long-volatile border, according to a statement released afterward that praised the addition of civilian envoys as an “important step” in “lasting civilian as well as military dialogue.
Renewed escalation
The committee’s role should go beyond just overseeing the 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, as has been urged by the United States for months. The most recent meeting comes amid growing concerns that Israeli airstrikes may have continued into the capital of Lebanon.
Despite the ceasefire’s stipulation that it withdraw entirely, Israel has continued to launch regular air strikes in Lebanon, frequently claiming that it is attacking Hezbollah members and facilities. It has also kept troops in five areas in the south.
In an online press release, Shosh Bedrosian, a spokesman for the Israeli government, described Wednesday’s meeting as “historical development.”
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s efforts to change the face of the Middle East led to this direct meeting between Israel and Lebanon,” Netanyahu said. There are unique opportunities to make peace with our neighbors, Bedrosian said, as the prime minister has stated.
Appointment is subject to investigation.
In the afternoon session, Lebanon’s presidential office announced Morgan Ortagus and Simon Karam, a lawyer and former US ambassador to Washington in the early 1990s, would represent Beirut.
According to a statement, the president, prime minister, and parliament speaker discussed his appointment after consultations.
Some Lebanoni political actors criticized the inclusion of Karam, who saw the move as a concession. Salman defended the decision, claiming that it had national support and was politically sound.
He claimed that Netanyahu had overstated the appointment’s significance and that Beirut had not yet engaged in peace talks.
After the Lebanese presidency made the announcement, Netanyahu had previously referred to Karam’s participation as “the first attempt to lay the groundwork for relations and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.”
Netanyahu’s office claimed that Israel had invited the deputy head of its foreign policy division to the meeting, citing the ongoing US-mediated dialogue.
Hezbollah de-armament
Salam said Lebanon is open to expanding the committee’s scope to include direct investigation into Israeli allegations that Hezbollah is re-arming and to monitor Lebanese army counterterrorism efforts.
When he inquired whether there might be French or US troops stationed there, he said, “of course.”
Political and diplomatic pressure is mounting on Hezbollah to disarm. After Israel launched attacks on Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where more than 70, 000 people have been killed by Israel’s genocidal war, the group is being pressured to hand over its weapons by Israel and the United States.
Hezbollah has rejected calls for disarmament, citing them as part of a joint US-Israeli effort to stifle Lebanon. Naim Qassem, the head of Hezbollah, suggested that the Lebanese state had failed to protect the country’s southern from Israeli bombardment.
Qassem asserts that the organization has the right to react to the assassination of its top military officer by an Israeli airstrike last week in southern Beirut. The Lebanese organization has repeatedly criticized any “trap” negotiations with Israel.
According to Salam, “We have received Israeli messages suggesting a possible escalation, but without specific dates,” in response to Israeli calls for Hezbollah to cease operations.
He reaffirmed that Hezbollah must give up its weapons, calling it “one of the essential components” for its participation in state-building. He claimed that the government has “regained the decision over war and peace” and that Israel’s arsenal has not “deterred Israel and has not protected Lebanon.”
Source: Aljazeera
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