President Joseph Aoun (left) with Simon Karam, Lebanon's civil representative in Israel negotiations on Jan. 9, 2026. (Credit: @LBpresidency/X)
BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun met with Simon Karam, Lebanon’s civil representative in negotiations with Israel, on Friday to discuss ongoing preparations for the cease-fire monitoring "Mechanism's" upcoming meeting on Jan. 17, the Lebanese Presidency said in a post on X.
The Mechanism had met on Wednesday without civilian representatives. The meeting was attended by representatives of the Lebanese and Israeli armies, American and French officers, and the commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Unlike previous meetings, the U.S. Embassy in Beirut did not issue any official statement after.
U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus was also absent from Wednesday's meeting. “She is reportedly on administrative leave,” a security source told L’Orient Today.
Despite the cease-fire that came into effect at the end of 2024 after a year of war, Israel continues to attack Lebanon daily, claiming to target Hezbollah's alleged attempts to rebuild its capacities. The Lebanese Army announced it had completed the first phase of Hezbollah's disarmament and is due to present in February how it will implement the second phase.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Lebanese efforts to disarm Hezbollah are "encouraging, but far from sufficient."
Israel continues attacks on southern Lebanon, demolishes buildings in Bint Jbeil