Lebanon, Israel officials meet as part of truce monitoring: source

BEIRUT, AFP

This photograph taken during a press tour organised by the Lebanese army shows an Israeli position (front) next to a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) base (background), on the Lebanese side of the UN-demarcated Blue Line, the de facto border, near the village of Labbouneh, as seen from Alma Al-Shaab.

Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives were holding their first direct talks on Wednesday in decades, part of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism in the war with Hezbollah, a source close to the talks told AFP.

The meeting was "underway" the source said. It was being held at the U.N. peacekeeping force's headquarters in Naqura in Lebanon, near the border with Israel, the source added.

Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. special representative for Lebanon, was present at the talks, the source said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he would send a representative to Lebanon to meet with government and economic officials.

The same day, the Lebanese government said it had placed a civilian at the head of its delegation to the monitoring mechanism, at the request of the United States.

Until now, it had only sent military officials who had avoided direct contact with the Israeli delegation, a diplomatic source who requested anonymity said.

Lebanon does not recognise Israel, though the United States has been pushing for direct talks between the two neighbours.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has continued to launch strikes in Lebanon it mostly says are targeting Hezbollah.