BEIRUT/ISTANBUL
Israeli, Lebanese, and US officials held a meeting on Friday in the southern Lebanese town of Naqoura aimed at preventing a renewed conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.
The meeting was the second of its kind in two weeks amid escalating Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement with Hezbollah, which has been in effect since November 2024.
The newspaper reported that senior Israeli officials have increased diplomatic efforts to avert renewed fighting along the northern border with Lebanon as the US’s year-end deadline approaches for dismantling Hezbollah’s weapons south of the Litani River.
According to the report, Israeli Deputy National Security Adviser Joseph Draznin traveled to Naqoura to take part in a meeting of the UN-sponsored tripartite monitoring committee tasked with preserving the fragile ceasefire. He was accompanied by Uri Resnick, another senior official from Israel’s National Security Council, who also attended the previous round of talks more than two weeks ago.
The daily said Israel joined the committee’s discussions after Lebanon agreed to include a civilian representative in talks addressing economic and civilian issues.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office called the meeting “a continuation of the security dialogue aimed at ensuring the disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese army.”
According to a statement by the office, discussions dwelt on 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.”
Participants in the second round of civilian-level dialogue included former Lebanese ambassador to the US Simon Karam and US envoy to Lebanon Morgan Ortagus, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
A similar meeting held in Naqoura two weeks ago was described by Netanyahu as having taken place in a “positive atmosphere,” which he said was a first attempt to lay the groundwork for potential economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.
As of last week, Israeli media has reported that the Israeli army has completed preparations for a potential large-scale attack on Hezbollah targets if Lebanon’s government and army fail to dismantle the group’s weapons by the end of 2025, a demand Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected.
A five-party committee monitoring the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire also met Friday in Naqoura to discuss strengthening the Lebanese army’s capabilities and facilitating the return of displaced residents, according to a statement from the US Embassy in Beirut.
The 15th meeting of the mechanism brought together military representatives from Lebanon, France, Israel and the US, along with UN peacekeepers from UNIFIL.
The statement said participants “offered operational updates and remained focused on deepening the military-to-military cooperation by finding ways to increase coordination.”
“All agreed a strengthened Lebanese Armed Force, the guarantors of security in the South Litani Sector, is critical to success,” the statement added.
The civilian actors, for their parts, stressed the need to create conditions for residents to return safely to their homes, advancing reconstruction, and addressing economic priorities.
They underscored that durable political and economic progress is essential to reinforcing security gains and sustaining lasting peace.
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,” adding that they looked ahead to the next round of regularly scheduled meetings in 2026.
In August, Lebanon’s government approved a plan to place all weapons, including those held by Hezbollah, under state control. In September, it endorsed a five-phase plan drawn up by the army to implement the decision, though no timeline was set.
The first phase calls for the removal of Hezbollah weapons south of the Litani River by the end of the year. However, Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected disarmament, insisting Israel must first withdraw from all Lebanese territory.
Israel and Lebanon reached the ceasefire after more than a year of cross-border attacks amid the war in Gaza. More than 4,000 people were killed, and 17,000 were injured.
Under the ceasefire, Israeli forces were supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon in January but have only partially pulled out, maintaining a military presence at five border outposts.