US to broker land border talks between Israel, Lebanon

The United States is set to facilitate negotiations between Israel and Lebanon aimed at demarcating their land border, after both countries agreed to initiate talks under US mediation.

Morgan Ortagus, Deputy Special Envoy of the US President to the Middle East, expressed the White House's eagerness to convene discussions promptly to address the "outstanding issues" between the two nations, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

Ortagus' announcement follows recent military-to-military talks held in southern Lebanon, where Israel, the US, France, and Lebanon participated in discussions. The parties involved agreed to establish working groups to focus on key issues, including the border demarcation, the deployment of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Lebanon, and the status of Lebanese detainees held in Israel. These talks come amid broader efforts by the US to mediate between the two countries, which remain officially at war.

A US official said that discussions on these critical matters could begin as early as next month, marking another step in the ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve long-standing tensions between Israel and Lebanon.

This development follows a successful mediation by the US in 2022, which led to an agreement between Israel and Lebanon on a maritime demarcation line. The new border talks could further stabilize relations in the region and address significant security concerns.

By Vafa Guliyeva