Officials from Israel and Lebanon hold first direct talks in decades in Naqoura

Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives hold their first direct talks in decades, part of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism in the war with Hezbollah, a source close to the talks tells AFP.

The meeting is taking place at the UN peacekeeping force’s headquarters in Lebanon’s Naqoura near the border with Israel, the source says.

Morgan Ortagus, the US special representative for Lebanon, is present at the talks.

Lebanon is being represented by former ambassador to the US Simon Karam and Israel reportedly sent Uri Resnick of the National Security Council.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that he would send a representative to Lebanon to meet with government and economic officials, calling it “an initial attempt to create a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.”

Lebanon said earlier that it agreed to send its own civilian representative — rather than a military figure — following a request to do so by the US, and Netanyahu was reportedly pressured by Washington to follow suit.