In a rare moment of direct diplomatic engagement between Lebanon and Israel, Beirut has appointed a civilian representative to the ceasefire monitoring committee, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to order that Israel send a representative as well.
Najat Sharaf al-Din, spokesperson for Lebanon’s presidential office, announced that former ambassador to the United States Simon Karam will head Lebanon’s delegation to the committee overseeing the ceasefire mechanism with Israel. Karam is scheduled to take part in Wednesday’s meeting in Naqoura in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu’s office said an Israeli representative would also attend.
Following the Lebanese appointment, the prime minister’s office said Netanyahu had instructed the acting head of Israel’s National Security Council to send a representative “for a meeting with governmental and economic officials in Lebanon.” The statement added: “This is a first attempt to build a basis for relations and economic cooperation between Israel and Lebanon.”
According to the statement issued in Beirut, the appointment followed an American update that Israel had agreed to allow Lebanon to include a civilian representative, after coordination and consultation with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
Lebanon’s Al-Mayadeen channel, which is aligned with Hezbollah, reported that a civilian was added to the discussions because the matters being reviewed are not purely technical. Al-Akhbar, another outlet aligned with the terrorist group, reported that U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus will participate in the committee meeting, along with representatives from France and UNIFIL.
Lebanon’s MTV network reported that the U.S. State Department is holding a series of meetings to monitor developments in Lebanon, particularly the situation in the south, and is preparing a report for Secretary of State Marco Rubio on dismantling Hezbollah’s weapons.
Meanwhile, Syria’s state-run Al-Ikhbariyah channel reported that Syrian security forces foiled an attempt to smuggle a large quantity of land mines intended for Hezbollah near the city of Yabrud. Four suspects were arrested, and a total of 1,250 mines were seized.
‘Heading toward escalation’
During a meeting in Jerusalem, Israel’s Military Intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder presented Ortagus with intelligence showing Hezbollah’s growing strength and the inability of the Lebanese Army to confront the terrorist group, noting that many Lebanese soldiers are Shia.
The intelligence was shared during a meeting between Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and Ortagus. Israeli officials told the U.S. envoy that Hezbollah is smuggling large numbers of short-range rockets across the Syrian border and moving infrastructure north of the Litani River. More than a year after the ceasefire went into effect, Hezbollah activists remain deployed inside villages along the border.
Given the information provided to Washington, a senior Israeli official was explicit: “We do not see Hezbollah giving up its weapons under any agreement, so there is no point in continuing with this agreement. We are heading toward escalation, and we will decide when, according to our interests.”