Israel and Lebanon agree to land border negotiations after US push
Israel and Lebanon have agreed to open negotiations to resolve longstanding disputes over the land border between them, two U.S. officials told U.S. news portal Axios in remarks published Tuesday.
"The Trump administration successfully pushed the two sides to come to the table just months after Israel invaded Lebanon as part of its war against Hezbollah. The border talks are intended to help stabilize the ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration last November," Axios said.
Thirteen disputed points along the "Blue Line" — drawn by the U.N. in 2000 to track Israel's withdrawal after its occupation of southern Lebanon — have historically been a source of tension between Israel and Lebanon.
"The Trump administration has been mediating between Israel and Lebanon for several weeks in an attempt to strengthen the ceasefire and come to an agreement on next steps," a U.S. official told Axios.
The official added that during the negotiations, Israel offered a good-will gesture by releasing five Lebanese citizens who were captured by the Israeli army during the fighting last year, among them a member of Hezbollah.
As part of the agreement between the parties, trilateral working groups will be established to negotiate on three issues: the land border disputes between Israel and Lebanon; the issue of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel and the conditions for Israel's withdrawal from five remaining outposts in southern Lebanon, a White House official told Axios.
"The working groups will be led by diplomats from the U.S., Israel and Lebanon. We hope that these negotiations will begin as early as next month," the U.S. official added.
The Israeli prime minister's office confirmed the details of the agreement and said it released the five prisoners "as a gesture of good will for the new Lebanese President Joseph Aoun."
In 2022 the Biden administration brokered a deal on the maritime border between Israel and Lebanon.
The November 2024 ceasefire agreement mentioned moving towards negotiations on the disputed land border.
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