On Friday December 19, more than a year after the French and U.S. brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, officials from both countries held their second meeting to negotiate the disarmament of Hezbollah, Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon, and to strengthen the mechanism of the cessation of hostilities. This marks the 15th pentalateral meeting at the headquarters for the UN peacekeeping force UNIFIL in Naqoura, and the second meeting to include civilian representatives from Lebanon and Israel.
The initial session was on December 3, the first time the two states held negotiations with civilian representatives in over 40 years. While it may seem like significant diplomatic progress is being made, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has insisted that Lebanon is not normalizing ties to Israel.
“Normalization will follow peace,”
Salam stated.
“It cannot precede peace.”
Thursday, just one day before the meeting, Israeli forces carried out a series of airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon. The airstrikes coincided with a conference in Paris where Commander-in-Chief of Lebanese Armed Forces, Rudolf Haykal, met with the French Chief of Defense Staff, Fabien Mandon.
Nabih Berri, Speaker of the Lebanese Parliament, suggested that the timing of the attacks was intentional.
“This is an Israeli message to the Paris meeting aiming to support the Lebanese army.”
Berri noted. He also made a sarcastic remark on the timing in relation to the talks in Naqoura,
“The fire belt of Israeli airstrikes is to honor the mechanism’s meeting tomorrow.”
Repeated ceasefire violations
The November 27, 2024 ceasefire agreement established a buffer zone between the two countries, south of the Litani River and north of the Israeli border, requiring both countries to withdraw their forces. ACLED has monitored near daily attacks on Lebanon by Israel since the ceasefire agreement was signed.
According to a UN Security Council report from November 2025, Israeli military operations have killed over 109 civilians, including 21 women and 16 children, since the ceasefire began. No casualties were reported in Israel during this period. The report further noted that while 121 projectiles were directed from south to north between June 21 and October 20, UNIFIL detected only two trajectories traveling from north to south.
In a serious violation of the UN Security Council resolution 1701, Israeli soldiers fired upon UN peacekeepers after allegedly being mistaken for ‘suspects’. On the anniversary of the ceasefire, the villages of Al-Jarmak and Al-Mahmoudiya were struck. The Israeli military maintains that the strikes aim to target “terror infrastructure” and dismantle Hezbollah. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz asserted that the attacks would continue as long as Israel feels vulnerable, stating,
“There will be no calm in Beirut nor order and stability in Lebanon as long as the security of the State of Israel is not guaranteed.”
Stalemate
Israel has maintained its military presence in five strategic bases in southern Lebanon: Labbouneh Mount Balat,Mount Deir, Tzivoni Ridge, and Tel Hamames. IDF International Spokesperson Nadav Shoshani has justified the presence, stating,
“We need to remain at these points at the moment to defend Israeli citizens, to make sure this process is complete and eventually hand it over to the Lebanese Armed Forces”
While Israeli forces were ordered to withdraw from Lebanon within 60 days of the ceasefire, they remained in the eastern regions. Lebanese officials and the UN have highlighted Israel’s actions in southern Lebanon as clear violations. Conversely, Hezbollah initially agreed to cede control of regions to the Lebanese army; they have since pivoted, stating that they will fulfill their end of the agreement once Israel fully withdraws.
Pressures to disarm
The U.S., France, and Saudi Arabia continue to push for Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) to disarm Hezbollah. Following the Paris conference, France committed to hold a follow-up summit in February to further reinforce the Lebanese military. General Fabien Mandon stated on X that French presence alongside the LAF shares the common goal to
“contribute to maintaining stability and lasting peace, while respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
As for conclusions for Friday’s meeting, a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon indicated that civilian participants from both Lebanon and Israel agreed that economic and political progress is vital for long-term stability. The committee reached a general consensus that strengthening the LAF is essential to sustain security. The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu concurred, stating that talks have discussed,
“ways to advance economic initiatives in order to demonstrate the mutual interest in removing the Hezbollah threat and to ensure sustainable security for residents on both sides of the border.”
Diplomatic statements from both the U.S. and Israel demonstrate enthusiasm and interest in a peace process; however, they contrast heavily with the stark reality of incessant ceasefire violations, which challenge the credibility of the negotiations.
