مباشرة مع إسرائيل.. سلام أم توتر؟

The Coordinating Mechanism Committee was established as part of the ceasefire agreement that began on November 27, 2024, following the "Support War" between Hezbollah and Israel. The initial talks were not direct between Lebanon and Israel, but rather through intermediaries. However, on December 3, 2025, an initial meeting took place in Naqoura, after the appointment of former ambassador Simon Karam as a direct negotiator from the Lebanese side, paving the way for elevating the negotiations from a technical level to a political and economic one.

Despite this progress, the negotiations remain in their preliminary stages, with substantial disagreements over sensitive files: the Israeli withdrawal from the five occupied points, the establishment of a buffer zone, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and ongoing security violations along the border. Hezbollah is studying these developments with great caution, maintaining its refusal of any direct negotiations. Since November 2024, the region has recorded repeated Israeli violations of the agreement, including drone flights, igniting border fires, house explosions, airstrikes, and targeted assassinations of Hezbollah members. Israel links these operations to the necessity of applying its security conditions, such as establishing a buffer zone south of the Litani River free of Hezbollah weapons and fully disarming it, considering it a constant threat. On the Lebanese side, the Cabinet approved the American paper related to the negotiations in August 2025, while Hezbollah announced in July 2025 its refusal to engage in any negotiations that limit its weapons to the Lebanese state before the withdrawal of Israel from the five points, the return of their captives held by Israel, the cessation of violations, and the reconstruction of affected areas.

This process distinguishes between a civilian negotiating team and a military one; the civilian team represents a shift towards economic and technical diplomacy that includes reconstruction and joint cooperation, while the military delegation focuses narrowly on security aspects, which is more acceptable to Hezbollah. This distinction opens the door for broader discussions, but it does not address the fundamental disagreements, as civilians see the possibility of containing the situation through economic pressure in exchange for Israeli concessions.

According to high-level political sources, these negotiations are taking place in a sensitive regional context, with the Lebanese side potentially prolonging the process while awaiting developments such as Netanyahu's trial in corruption cases or progress in the American-Iranian negotiations regarding nuclear issues.

The final outcome of these negotiations remains unclear, as they face increasing American and Israeli pressures to expedite the disarmament of Hezbollah in exchange for withdrawal from the occupied territories, with threats of military escalation from Tel Aviv if tangible progress is not achieved. Upcoming results will clarify whether this civilian step will succeed in avoiding a new conflict in Lebanon or will exacerbate tensions in the region.