The United States has launched diplomatic working groups aimed at resolving long-standing border disputes between Lebanon and Israel, including the demarcation of the contentious Blue Line, US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus announced on Tuesday.
In an interview on al-Jadeed television channel, Ortagus expressed optimism that the negotiations could resolve the five remaining points of contention.
The announcement was swiftly echoed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who confirmed the establishment of working groups involving the US, France and Lebanon to address border issues. “An agreement has been reached to form these groups in an effort to resolve the border dispute,” Netanyahu’s press office stated.
Furthermore, Ortagus commended President Joseph Aoun’s efforts and emphasized that US President Donald Trump views peace and the implementation of diplomatic solutions as crucial for settling the conflict between the neighboring countries.
In a significant development, Ortagus also announced the upcoming release of five Lebanese prisoners held by Israel, following discussions by the committee overseeing the ceasefire implementation between Lebanon and Israel, which was meeting in Naqoura at the time of her interview. While she acknowledged uncertainty over the total number of Lebanese detainees still held in Israel, she affirmed that diplomatic efforts were ongoing to secure their release.
Later on Tuesday, President Aoun confirmed that four Lebanese prisoners had already been released following negotiations led by the ceasefire monitoring committee, with a fifth prisoner expected to be handed over on Wednesday, according to a statement posted by the Lebanese Presidency on X.
Ortagus also underscored that “discussions included the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River,” describing it as a key part of the broader agreement under negotiation. She stated that the US remains committed to strengthening the Lebanese Army’s capabilities to ensure it serves as Lebanon’s sole sovereign military force.
“Under the leadership of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, we are working to lay the foundation for a new future for Lebanon,” Ortagus concluded.
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