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.