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3. Washington Begins Addressing Border Issues Between Lebanon and Israel

The Americans and Israelis surprised the Lebanese by announcing the imminent launch of indirect negotiations to resolve the dispute along the southern border, specifically at the five points still occupied by Israel following the war in support of Gaza. The talks will also address the 13 remaining points of contention along the Blue Line. Notably, at least six of these points were resolved in previous years, with the remaining issues expected to be settled swiftly.

Sources closely following the matter confirmed that the Shebaa Farms issue is excluded from this settlement, as it lies outside the Blue Line and the southern Lebanese border defined in 1923. As a result, it is considered part of Lebanon’s border with Syria, and its resolution requires negotiations between Lebanon, Syria and Israel. The current situation may present a unique opportunity, following the fall of the Assad regime, which had long opposed any border demarcation between Lebanon and Syria.

The announcement by the Americans and Israelis regarding the launch of border negotiations with Lebanon, alongside the release of Lebanese prisoners, came shortly after Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem expressed doubts about the success of Lebanon’s political and diplomatic efforts to resolve its issues with Israel. The timing of this announcement seemed to serve as a direct response to his remarks, providing the new Lebanese government, according to well-informed sources, with added momentum to accelerate the implementation of Resolution 1701 and related resolutions, with the primary objective of disarming Hezbollah.

Sources indicated that the launch of these border negotiations builds on the efforts initiated by former United States envoy Amos Hochstein, with the new US envoy, Morgan Ortagus, set to take over this responsibility. Additionally, a delegation from the US State Department is expected to visit Beirut very soon.

Furthermore, sources disclosed that the US informed Lebanese officials that the Trump administration is committed to resolving the situation between Lebanon and Israel, urging Lebanese leaders to take proactive steps in this regard. They also highlighted that the upcoming developments on the Lebanese front come amid renewed efforts to advance normalization between Israel and Arab countries, notably Saudi Arabia, which will ultimately join the Abraham Accords.