BIKFAYA, LEBANON — Former Lebanese President Amin Gemayel urged Lebanon's leaders to pursue a long-term peace deal with Israel as the two countries held their first direct talks since the 1980s in Washington. He said an armistice similar to the one signed in 1949 could be a good step forward if it keeps the country unified.

President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have entered direct talks with Israel. Aoun has said he is seeking a deal similar to the 1949 agreement, not a full normalization of relations with Israel. Lebanese officials have said the negotiations are the only way to secure the withdrawal of Israeli troops and achieve long-term calm.

Gemayel said there is more openness in the region toward peace with Israel than during his presidency. "During my time, discussing a peace agreement with Israel was an unforgivable fatal crime," he said.

Gemayel was sworn in as Lebanon's youngest-ever president in 1982 at 40 years old, while the country was in a 15-year civil war and occupied by Syrian and Israeli troops. Hezbollah was established during his presidency and was far from the powerful armed and political presence it later became. He supports the disarmament of Hezbollah.

In May 1983, Gemayel reached a U.S.-brokered agreement with Israel ending the state of war that had existed since 1948, providing for Israeli troops to withdraw from southern Lebanon and Lebanese troops to deploy there. Despite backing from U.S. President Ronald Reagan and an overwhelming Lebanese parliament vote, the agreement never went into effect. Israel attempted to impose an article outside the framework of the agreement, according to Gemayel, which gave Syria effective veto power over the deal.

Hezbollah's military capabilities were weakened by Israeli strikes in Lebanon over the past two years. The ouster of Syrian President Bashar Assad by Islamist-led armed opposition groups closed off much of the porous border used for transporting weapons between Syria and Lebanon. Syria has held direct talks with Israel, and the Abraham Accords led to the United Arab Emirates establishing diplomatic ties with Israel.

The latest round of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah began two days after U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28. Over 2,500 people in Lebanon have been killed and more than one million displaced. Israeli troops remain in large swaths of southern Lebanon and continue to clash with Hezbollah fighters despite a nominal ceasefire, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

"There is an opportunity for the Lebanese government to go into negotiations to reach a solution that achieves peace, security, and stability in Lebanon. That would also satisfy the feelings of Lebanese who yearn for the bare minimum of calm, peace, stability, and an end to the war," Gemayel said. "We have to see how far we can go. We trust General Aoun to enter negotiations as far as they go while maintaining the interests of the country and the unity of Lebanon. And he knows exactly how far he can go in negotiations."

No independent assessment of Amin Gemayel’s claims was available.