US confirms Israel-Lebanon talks in Rome from August 4 to 6

The US State Department confirmed that the next round of US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Rome from August 4 to 6, as Israel prepares to withdraw from two “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani first announced the new round last week. A State Department official, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said technical groups in Rome would focus on advancing the full implementation of the Israel-Lebanon framework agreement.

The official said the planned discussion includes expanding the pilot-zone process, resolving outstanding border issues and working on a comprehensive peace and security agreement.

The framework deal followed the outbreak of war between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah on March 2, against the backdrop of the wider Middle East war. It calls for an end to the war in Lebanon, Hezbollah's disarmament, the deployment of Lebanese troops in the south and the steady withdrawal of Israeli forces from the country in two pilot zones.

Lebanon's army on Sunday condemned Israel's continuing military operations in southern Lebanon, saying they were preventing the army's full deployment under the framework deal. Beirut has reported intermittent Israeli strikes and artillery shelling in the south despite the lull in fighting.