U.S. confirms new round of talks between Lebanon and Israel in Rome

On Monday, the United States confirmed that new talks between Israel and Lebanon will take place in Rome, from August 4 to 6, as part of the creation of "pilot zones" with the Lebanese army.

"In Rome, technical groups will focus on moving toward the full implementation of the framework agreement," said a State Department official on condition of anonymity, referring to the expansion of the "pilot zones" process, the resolution of all outstanding border issues, and the drafting of a comprehensive peace and security agreement.

"The experience gained from the first zones will help us refine the implementation of the pilot zones so that it can be expanded gradually," he added.

On Sunday, the Lebanese army condemned Israel's continued military operations in southern Lebanon, stating that this prevents it from deploying there as planned under the agreement signed in June between the two countries in Washington.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced these talks a few days ago.

The agreement reached in June calls for the deployment of the Lebanese Army in "pilot zones" evacuated by Israel, which still occupies part of the south of the country, contingent upon the disarmament of Hezbollah, a terrorist group backed by Iran.

Despite the relative lull in the fighting, the Israeli army continues to carry out intermittent attacks in the south.

Article with information from AFP