Israel said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold talks to demarcate its border with Lebanon, adding it would release five Lebanese detainees held by the Israeli military in what it called a "gesture to the Lebanese president".
While details of the border talks remain undisclosed, analysts view this step as a significant diplomatic move that could shape future relations between Israel and Lebanon © Mena Today
Israel said on Tuesday it had agreed to hold talks to demarcate its border with Lebanon, adding it would release five Lebanese detainees held by the Israeli military in what it called a "gesture to the Lebanese president".
A statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel had agreed with Lebanon, the U.S. and France to establish working groups to discuss the demarcation line between the two countries.
Though Israel has largely withdrawn from southern Lebanon under a ceasefire deal agreed in November, its troops continue to hold five hilltop positions in the area with airstrikes in southern Lebanon citing what it described as Hezbollah activity.
The ceasefire deal ended more than a year of conflict between Israel's military and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah that was playing out in parallel with the Gaza war.
The fighting peaked in a major Israeli air and ground campaign that uprooted more than a million people in Lebanon and left the Iranian-backed Hezbollah badly weakened, with most of its military command killed in Israeli strikes.
By Bruno Finel
Several rockets fired by Hezbollah struck the predominantly Christian village of Marjayoun in southern Lebanon overnight, causing damage to the Sisters of the Sacred Hearts school and the local church.
The United States welcomed "constructive" discussions between Israeli and Lebanese military delegations at the Pentagon on Friday, following nine hours of talks aimed at advancing the security track of ongoing peace negotiations between the two countries.
President Trump understands something most diplomats refuse to acknowledge: the Middle East cannot remain a museum of old hatred.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.