Civilian representatives from Lebanon and Israel joined a session of the US-chaired ceasefire monitoring committee in Naqoura, marking the first direct talks between the two countries in more than four decades.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday that Beirut is prepared to engage in negotiations extending beyond security matters, but underlined these are not peace talks and “normalisation is tied to a peace process”.

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Salam said these negotiations are aimed solely at “the cessation of hostilities”, the “release of Lebanese hostages”, and “the complete Israeli withdrawal” from Lebanese territory.

Salam said Lebanon remained committed to the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative – which offers a full normalisation of relations with Israel in return for its complete withdrawal from territory it occupied in 1967 – and has no intention of concluding a separate peace deal with Israel.

The participation of civilian envoys could help “defuse tensions”, he said, noting deadly Israeli air strikes recently are a clear sign of rising escalation.

The committee convened for about three hours along the Blue Line – the frontier between Lebanon and Israel.

A statement issued afterwards welcomed the addition of civilian envoys as an “important step” toward anchoring the process in “lasting civilian as well as military dialogue”, and said the committee hoped to “nurture peace” along the long-volatile border.

‘Renewed escalation’

The United States has for months urged both sides to broaden the scope of the committee beyond just overseeing the 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. The latest meeting comes during mounting fears of renewed escalation after Israeli air strikes hit Lebanon’s capital last month.

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Israel has kept up regular air strikes in Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah members and facilities, and kept troops in five areas in the south despite the ceasefire’s stipulation that it pull out entirely.

Israeli government spokesperson Shosh Bedrosian, in an online briefing to reporters, said Wednesday’s meeting was “a historic development”.

“This direct meeting between Israel and Lebanon took place as a result of Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu’s efforts to change the face of the Middle East. As the prime minister has said, there are unique opportunities to create peace with our neighbours,” Bedrosian said.

Appointment draws scrutiny

Lebanon’s presidential office announced Simon Karam, a lawyer and former ambassador to Washington in the early 1990s, would represent Beirut in the afternoon session, alongside US envoy Morgan Ortagus.

His appointment followed consultations between the president, prime minister, and parliament speaker, a statement said.

The inclusion of Karam prompted criticism from some political actors in Lebanon who view the move as a concession. Salam defended the decision insisting it was politically sound and had national backing.

He also accused Netanyahu of overstating the significance of the appointment, stressing Beirut is not entering peace negotiations.

Earlier, Netanyahu framed Karam’s participation as “the first attempt to establish a foundation for relations and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon”, after the Lebanese presidency announced the decision.

Netanyahu’s office said Israel sent the deputy head of the foreign policy division at its National Security Council to the meeting, describing the session as part of ongoing US-mediated dialogue.

Hezbollah disarmament

Salam said Lebanon is open to expanding the committee’s mandate to include direct verification of Israeli claims that Hezbollah is re-arming, as well as monitoring Lebanese army efforts to dismantle the group’s infrastructure.

Asked whether that could involve French or US troops on the ground, he replied, “of course”.

Hezbollah is under increasing political and diplomatic pressure to disarm. Israel and the United States are pushing the group to hand over its weapons after it launched attacks on Israel in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 70,000 people.

Hezbollah has rejected calls for disarmament, describing the demands as a joint US-Israeli attempt to weaken Lebanon. Last week, Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem suggested the Lebanese state failed to protect the south of the country from Israeli bombardment.

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Qassem says the group has the right to respond to Israel’s assassination of its top military chief in a strike on Beirut’s southern suburbs last week. The Lebanese group has repeatedly rejected any negotiations with Israel as a “trap”.

Amid Israeli calls for Hezbollah to disarm, Salam said on Wednesday, “We have received Israeli messages suggesting a possible escalation, but without specific timelines … Envoys who visited Beirut believe the situation is dangerous and could worsen”.

He reiterated that Hezbollah must relinquish its weapons, calling this “one of the essential elements” for its participation in state-building. The group’s arsenal “has not deterred Israel and has not protected Lebanon,” he argued, adding the government has “regained the decision over war and peace”.

Lebanon, “will not allow adventures that drag us into another war. We must learn from the experience of supporting Gaza,” said Salam.