• Lebanon and Israel held their first civilian-level talks in over 40 years.
• The discussions are part of a ceasefire monitoring mechanism established in late 2024.
• Both parties are navigating issues around Hezbollah disarmament and economic cooperation.

In a significant diplomatic shift, Lebanon and Israel engaged in their first direct civilian-level talks on December 3, 2025, marking a historic moment in their fraught relationship. The meeting occurred at the UN peacekeeping force's headquarters in Naqoura, Lebanon, as part of a mechanism overseeing the year-old ceasefire from the conflict with Hezbollah, which ended in November 2024. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office emphasized that this meeting aimed to "establish a basis for a relationship and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon," describing it as a "historic development," according to Middle East Eye and Dawn.

Leading the Lebanese delegation was Simon Karam, a former ambassador to the United States, while Israel’s contingent included Uri Resnick from the National Security Council. The involvement of civilian officials is notable as previous discussions had strictly utilized military representatives. This change may signal a willingness to explore deeper relations, though Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated that these discussions are not peace talks and that normalization with Israel is contingent on a broader peace process, highlighting the sensitivity of the negotiations within Lebanon, as reported by South China Morning Post and India Times.

The backdrop of these talks is the ongoing tensions marked by continued Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, primarily targeting Hezbollah's infrastructure. Despite the ceasefire, Lebanese concerns about potential escalations remain high, as Israel has conducted nearly daily attacks under the pretext of preventing Hezbollah from regrouping. Israeli officials described the atmosphere of the talks as positive, suggesting potential for economic cooperation, but also maintained the necessity for Hezbollah's disarmament as a crucial component of any future relationship, according to Al Jazeera and Le Monde.

The talks represent a U.S. push for structured dialogue aimed at stabilizing the region and mitigating the influence of Iran-backed Hezbollah. The U.S. has been advocating for a broader approach that includes economic discussions, while Lebanon insists on its adherence to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, which states that normalization with Israel hinges on its withdrawal from occupied territories, as clarified by Lebanese leaders during and after the discussions, as reported by Al Jazeera and Middle East Eye.