Heba Khalil Turkiyeh stands in what she says was her nephew's room after returning to Zawtar Gharbieh in southern Lebanon, following the Lebanese Army's deployment to a "pilot zone" after the Israeli withdrawal under a U.S.-brokered plan, July 27, 2026. (Credit: Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)
The U.S. State Department confirmed Monday that the next round of Lebanon-Israel talks will take place in Rome from Aug. 4-6, as Israel prepares to withdraw from two "pilot zones" in southern Lebanon.
The U.S.-mediated talks will focus on implementing the framework agreement, including expanding the "pilot zones," resolving outstanding border disputes and advancing a comprehensive peace and security agreement, a State Department official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The agreement, reached after war broke out between Israel and Hezbollah on March 2, calls for an end to the conflict, Hezbollah's disarmament, the deployment of the Lebanese Army in the South and a phased Israeli withdrawal.
The official said lessons from the initial pilot zones would help expand the process gradually.
On Sunday, the Lebanese Army accused Israel of hindering its deployment through continued military operations in southern Lebanon, where Beirut says intermittent strikes and shelling have persisted despite the lull in fighting.
Israel says intercepted drone near Jordan border