Lebanon, Israel officials meet in Naqoura as part of ceasefire committee

Lebanese and Israeli civilian representatives held their first direct talks on Wednesday in decades, part of a year-old ceasefire monitoring mechanism in the war with Hezbollah, a source close to the talks told AFP.

The meeting was taking place at the U.N. peacekeeping force's headquarters in Lebanon Naqoura near the border with Israel, the source said. Morgan Ortagus, the U.S. Special Representative for Lebanon, was present at the talks.

Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he would send a representative to Lebanon to meet with government and economic officials, and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said he appointed ex U.S. ambassador to the U.S. Simon Karam to lead the delegation to the ceasefire committee.