Israel and Lebanon have agreed to open negotiations to formally delineate their border, the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced Tuesday. The agreement follows a four-way meeting with the U.S. and France at the United Nations peacekeeping force headquarters in Naqoura.
As part of the deal, three joint working groups will address key issues: Israeli-occupied areas inside Lebanon, disputed border points along the Blue Line, and Lebanese citizens held by Israel. Israel also agreed to release five Lebanese detainees as a goodwill gesture to newly elected Lebanese President Joseph Aoun.
Despite this diplomatic progress, hostilities persist. An Israeli drone strike in southern Lebanon on Tuesday killed Hassan Abbas Izzedine, a Hezbollah commander specializing in aerial defense, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The strike targeted his vehicle near Nabatieh, and additional Israeli airstrikes hit Hezbollah facilities and weapons sites in southern Lebanon.
Lebanon and Israel last negotiated a U.S.-brokered maritime border agreement in 2022, but their land border remains unresolved. Tensions have simmered since Hezbollah launched attacks on Israel on October 8, 2023, in support of Hamas, triggering an Israeli military response. A ceasefire in November 2024 largely ended major clashes, but sporadic violence continues.
The newly formed diplomatic working groups could meet as early as next month, with hopes of further stabilizing the region.
