Israel and Lebanon have agreed to begin negotiations to resolve longstanding disputes over their land border, sources confirmed to Axios. This move comes months after Israel’s military operation in Lebanon, which was part of its ongoing conflict with Hezbollah. 

The parties are set to address several contentious issues, with 13 disputed points along the "Blue Line" — the UN-drawn border marking Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 — at the forefront of the discussions. These disputed areas have been a persistent source of tension between the two nations.

The Trump administration played a key role in mediating between Israel and Lebanon, working for several weeks to build the framework for these talks. A U.S. official noted that Israel’s goodwill gesture in releasing five Lebanese citizens — including a member of Hezbollah — who had been captured by the Israeli army during last year’s fighting, served to build trust ahead of the negotiations.

Under the agreement, trilateral working groups will be formed, composed of diplomats from the U.S., Israel, and Lebanon. These groups will focus on three main issues: the land border dispute, the release of Lebanese prisoners held by Israel, and the conditions for Israel’s withdrawal from five remaining outposts in southern Lebanon. A White House official confirmed that the working groups are expected to begin their discussions as early as next month.

A U.S. official highlighted the significance of these talks, stating, “Today, the United States announced that we are bringing Lebanon and Israel together for discussions aimed at diplomatically resolving several outstanding issues between the two countries.” The official further added that “military-to-military talks concluded in Naqoura, Lebanon today, and as part of the agreement, five Lebanese prisoners have been released back to Lebanon from Israel.”

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office confirmed the details of the deal, stating that the release of the five prisoners was a gesture of goodwill aimed at supporting the new Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun. In a separate statement, a senior White House official told Al Arabiya English that the U.S. is facilitating these negotiations to diplomatically address the unresolved issues between the two nations, including the prisoners, the disputed border points, and the five remaining Israeli-occupied areas.

The U.S. official reaffirmed the commitment of all parties involved to uphold the ceasefire agreement and its full implementation, expressing hope that the diplomat-led working groups would quickly address these lingering issues.