Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Thursday that the civilian-led meetings with Israel will resume on Dec. 19 for implementing a ceasefire agreement between the two countries.

According to Anadolu Agency, a Lebanese delegation, led by former ambassador to Washington, Simon Karam, attended a meeting of the ceasefire monitoring committee in Naqoura in southern Lebanon on Wednesday. The meeting was held alongside an Israeli delegation, headed by Uri Resnick, senior director for foreign policy of Israel's National Security Council.

President Aoun noted, "It was self-evident that the first session would not be highly productive, but it paved the way for upcoming sessions that will begin on the 19th of the current month," during a Cabinet meeting at Baabda Palace in Beirut. A statement from the presidency emphasized that "the language of negotiation should prevail over the language of war."

Karam, described as "a respected civilian figure," was appointed as the head of the Lebanese delegation following consultations with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam. This decision underscores Lebanon's commitment to a civilian-led negotiation process.

A ceasefire was reached last year between Tel Aviv and Beirut after more than a year of hostilities related to the conflict in the Gaza Strip, which resulted in over 4,000 fatalities and 17,000 injuries. However, since the ceasefire agreement took effect in November 2024, at least 335 people have been killed and 973 others wounded in 1,038 Israeli attacks, as reported by Lebanon's Health Ministry.

The Israeli army was expected to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January under the terms of the ceasefire. However, it has only partially withdrawn and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts, highlighting ongoing tensions between the two nations.