Second Lebanon-Israel meeting sidelined France, saw US pressure on Netanyahu

WASHINGTON/PARIS — The second round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon in the border town of Naqoura on Friday excluded the French government, saw US pressure on the Israeli delegation and exposed disagreements over the so-called economic zone that Israel is seeking to establish, Al-Monitor has learned.

Chaired by Deputy US Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, the meeting brought together Lebanon’s former Ambassador to the United States (1992-1993) and civilian envoy Simon Karam, who was accompanied by a Lebanese military officer; Israel’s Deputy National Security Council chief Yossi Draznin; Uri Reznik, deputy head of the Foreign Policy Division at Israel’s National Security Council; and US Gen. Joseph Clearfield, head of the Mechanism, a group formed last year to oversee the ceasefire. 

France sidelined

France, which is also part of the Mechanism, was asked not to attend, two high-level sources told Al-Monitor. Ahead of the meeting, only the second at the civilian level between Lebanon and Israel since 1991, French Ambassador to Lebanon Herve Magro asked to represent Paris, but the request was rejected by both the United States and Israel. Israel even threatened to pull its representatives if France was allowed to participate, according to the sources. A French diplomatic source denied that such a request had been made but admitted that no French civil representative participated in the meeting, stating simply that France had an army general represented within the Mechanism. 

The move comes amid growing tensions between Israel and France over President Emmanuel Macron’s initiative to recognize Palestine as a state, Paris’ increasingly vocal criticism of Israel’s military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon, and the president’s calls for restraint and the protection of civilians.

In the year following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas, Israel assessed that France’s diplomatic engagement with Hezbollah-linked Lebanese officials could prove useful and that Paris could serve as a go-between. As the bilateral rift widened, however, Israel increasingly favored sidelining France. Israeli officials accused Paris of adopting positions they view as hostile to Israel’s security interests, while France maintained it was seeking to preserve stability along the Lebanese border and prevent a broader regional escalation.

A senior European diplomatic source told Al-Monitor that in November 2024, France showed interest in joining the Mechanism to preserve its influence in Lebanon and the wider region. At the time, however, the Lebanese government proposed that Qatar be included alongside the United States and Israel, estimating that Doha would better serve Beirut’s interests. Israel rejected Qatar’s participation in the Mechanism, prompting Lebanon to propose France instead.

Differences over economic zone

One high-level source told Al-Monitor on Monday that while the meeting was constructive, the Lebanese and Israeli sides voiced different priorities in charting the way forward. The Lebanese priority is the return of tens of thousands of civilians displaced from southern border villages since the outbreak of hostilities in October 2023 when Hezbollah launched attacks in solidarity with Hamas, many of whom remain unable to return due to continued Israeli strikes and security restrictions. 

The Israeli side, meanwhile, focused on establishing an economic or security zone along the border, which Israeli officials argue would create strategic depth and reduce the risk of cross-border attacks by Hezbollah and other groups. 

Pressured by Washington, Israel has been trying to advance its strategy in Lebanon on two tracks: eliminating Hezbollah’s military capabilities in the south, while establishing first contacts with the Lebanese government by negotiating civil and economic issues. Israeli security sources told Al-Monitor that they fear Hezbollah is rehabilitating its capabilities faster than the Lebanese military is disarming the group. 

At the outset of the meeting, one high-level source said the Israeli delegation emphasized it has no territorial, water or maritime ambitions in Lebanon, and its priority is security. The source added that the Israeli delegation said it views the proposed economic zone as a buffer area intended to prevent future attacks from Hezbollah, particularly rocket fire and infiltration attempts along the border.

The Lebanese side, however, did not commit to the economic zone and insisted that the return of displaced civilians must come first, followed by a gradual process addressing those areas that could include economic activity. Karam stressed that Beirut cannot accept an empty zone devoid of residents, arguing that such an arrangement would amount to de facto displacement and undermine Lebanese sovereignty.

US pressure on Israel

During the meeting, a high-level source said Ortagus told the Israelis that inflicting civilian harm during their strikes in Lebanon has hurt the process. Her comments came against the backdrop of Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire in recent months that have hit residential areas in southern Lebanon, resulting in civilian deaths, widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure, and the displacement of entire communities. Ortagus said that such an approach does not help those who are trying to deescalate the situation in Lebanon and stabilize the border.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, at least 127 civilians have been killed in Israeli strikes in Lebanon since the ceasefire came into effect in November 2024 and up until Nov. 24 of this year. The Lebanese Health Ministry, for its part, says 331 people have been killed and 945 injured, without specifying whether the casualties include civilians, fighters or both.

The Lebanese delegation also asked for Israeli acknowledgment of what the Lebanese Armed Forces have accomplished south of the Litani River, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the border with Israel. Since the ceasefire framework took effect, the Lebanese military has expanded its deployment in the south, dismantled unauthorized military positions, increased patrols and checkpoints, and coordinated closely with UNIFIL to assert state authority in areas previously dominated by nonstate actors. 

In June, the Lebanese military said its forces had dismantled over 500 Hezbollah military sites and weapons depots south of the Litani River in accordance with the ceasefire. In October, US Central Command said the military has removed nearly 10,000 rockets, almost 400 missiles and more than 205,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance from the south over the past year.

Meanwhile, UNIFIL said in a brief statement on its X account on Friday that its forces, alongside Lebanese army troops, found and destroyed 393 mines, while clearing nearly 2,000 square meters of land in the south since the ceasefire entered into force.

According to one high-level source, the Israeli delegation was open to recognizing these steps as positive, though it stressed the need for sustained implementation.

The next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 7. 

Contacted by Al-Monitor, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the Lebanese Ministry of Information and the US State Department were not immediately available for comment.