A woman smokes a cigarette as she stands on the balcony of a building damaged by an Israeli airstrike, following the Israel-Lebanon deal, in Sour, southern Lebanon, July 5, 2026. (Credit: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)
Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors are due to hold direct talks in Rome this month, Italy's foreign ministry said Tuesday, after several rounds of discussions in Washington aimed at de-escalation.
"We welcome with pleasure the announcement that the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon mediated by the U.S. will take place in Rome," Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X.
A ministry spokesman said the talks would take place at the ambassador level on July 15 and 16.
This round of talks will be the sixth since spring between the two, which do not have diplomatic relations and are technically in a state of war.
Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement last month in Washington aimed at "lasting peace," five days after the entry into force of a fragile cease-fire in the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah that has been going on since March 2.
This framework agreement stipulates that the Lebanese Army will restore its authority in the South, which Israel currently occupies, subject to Hezbollah’s disarmament, starting with "pilot zones" from which the Israeli army would withdraw.
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed nearly 4,300 people, according to the Health Ministry.
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