Israel and Lebanon began their third day of negotiations in Rome after two days of tense discussions, The Times of Israel reports. The negotiations are continuing following clashes in southern Lebanon that left two Israeli soldiers dead and four others wounded. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have resumed strikes on Hezbollah positions.
On August 5, Axios journalist Barak Ravid, citing an American diplomatic source, reported that the Lebanese and Israeli delegations, brokered by the US, had made progress in the Rome negotiations. "According to a State Department official, the talks focused on a range of political and military issues and were very productive. Expert-level teams made progress in identifying key details for the implementation of the trilateral framework agreement," the journalist wrote on social media.
Israel and Lebanon signed a US-brokered framework agreement in Washington on June 26. The document aims to halt hostilities. The agreements provide for a phased Israeli military withdrawal and the disarmament of Hezbollah forces by Lebanese forces in "pilot zones." The first of these included the Zaktar al-Gharbiya area, as well as the villages of Froun and Srifa.
The State Department called the launch of the "pilot zones" project a success. However, Lebanese authorities accused Israel of actions that hindered the implementation of these agreements. At the same time, officials said they were prepared to expand the use of the "pilot zones" scheme, and the allocation of additional areas for its implementation could be discussed this week.
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