Jakarta, CNN Indonesia --

Lebanon and Israel held direct talks involving civilian representatives for the first time in decades, marking a new step amid a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah group.

The meeting took place on Wednesday at the United Nations Peacekeeping Force (UNIFIL) headquarters in Naqura, southern Lebanon, near the Israeli border. The dialogue was held as part of a monitoring mechanism for the ceasefire that has been in effect since November 2024.

Previously, the two countries, which do not have diplomatic relations, had always appointed military officers as official representatives at cross-border meetings. However, the latest meeting marked a significant milestone because it was the first time a civilian representative was present.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokeswoman, Shosh Bedrosian, called the meeting an"initial effort" to pave the way for economic ties and cooperation.

"This is a historic development. It's the first step towards a new path with Lebanon, and it's clear that the Lebanese side is aware of the economic challenges they face," he said at a press conference, as reported by AFP.

The presence of civilian representatives was also appreciated by the United States. The US Embassy in Beirut stated that Special Envoy Morgan Ortagus attended the meeting.

Washington views the participation of former Lebanese Ambassador to the US Simon Karam and Israeli National Security Council official Uri Resnick as a commitment to the ceasefire mechanism in facilitating political and military dialogue.

The US has in recent months increased pressure on Lebanon to accelerate the process of disarming Hezbollah, the Iran-backed group that Israel considers a major threat to regional stability.

The day before attending the Naqura meeting, Ortagus met with Netanyahu and Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar in Jerusalem. Washington urged the two countries to open direct dialogue to defuse tensions and contain Hezbollah's influence.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun's office stated that the Lebanese delegation was led by Karam, and that Israel had informed them it would send a non-military representative to attend the meeting. Beirut itself reiterated its readiness to negotiate with its southern neighbor.

Netanyahu has on several occasions encouraged Lebanon to consider joining the Abraham Accords, a pact that would allow several Arab and Muslim countries to normalize relations with Israel. However, concrete steps remain elusive.

Similar negotiations were held in 1983 after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. At that time, an agreement potentially establishing diplomatic relations was signed, but it was never ratified.

Fragile ceasefire

The meeting came just days after the one-year anniversary of a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, ending more than a year of fighting fueled by Hezbollah's support for Hamas.

Despite this, attacks continued. Israel continued its bombing campaign against Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah members and infrastructure to hinder its efforts to rebuild its military capabilities.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese government has approved a plan to dismantle Hezbollah's military infrastructure in the south before the end of the year, before expanding the crackdown to other areas. However, Israel considers these efforts far from sufficient and has intensified its attacks in recent weeks.

Israeli public broadcaster KAN reported that Israel is preparing for a possible"significant escalation" with Hezbollah, a situation it considers"unavoidable" despite US efforts to defuse it.

The Israeli military said it had carried out about 1,200"targeted operations" and "eliminated more than 370 terrorists" from Hezbollah, Hamas and other Palestinian groups during the ceasefire period.

After meeting Ortagus in Jerusalem, Foreign Minister Saar emphasized that Hezbollah is an actor that"violates Lebanese sovereignty" and that the group's disarmament is essential for Lebanon's future and Israel's security.

These latest talks mark a small but symbolic step, opening the door to dialogue after decades of open hostility and fractured relations without diplomatic channels. However, the future of Lebanon-Israel relations remains highly dependent on the evolving security and political dynamics in the region.

(tis/tis)