Lebanon and Israel hold new round of direct talks in Rome to discuss Hezbollah disarming
Lebanon and Israel are engaged in US-mediated talks in Rome aimed at establishing a framework for Hezbollah's disarmament and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon. The negotiations follow a series of pilot zone withdrawals and ongoing regional conflict.
Why it matters
These direct talks represent a critical diplomatic effort to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and Lebanon and restore stability to the border region.
Lebanon and Israel held a fresh round of US-sponsored talks in Rome on Tuesday, with Beirut seeking Israel's phased withdrawal from the country's south.Convoys carrying delegations from the two countries arrived in the morning to the US embassy in the Italian capital, where discussions are scheduled to run until Thursday.At negotiations in Washington in June, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a framework deal that involves the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon's south and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the region, starting in test areas known as "pilot zones."This week's negotiations are the seventh round of Washington-mediated talks since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran.Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,300 people.Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Tuesday…
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