Israel and Lebanon to hold Rome talks next week on withdrawal

Israel's ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter announced on Monday that Israeli and Lebanese delegations will convene in Rome on July 14-15 for a new round of negotiations, bringing specialized teams to address outstanding bilateral issues including the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC, Leiter confirmed that delegations will meet on July 14-15 to address outstanding disputes. "Next week we're sitting (down) in Rome, (on July) 14th and 15th," he said, adding that specialized teams will tackle individual issues separately. "There's certainly points of contention that have to be worked out, and that's why we need this time and working groups to actually sit down and work together over these contending points to reach that full-fledged agreement," Leiter stated.

June framework agreement

The negotiations follow a US-mediated framework agreement signed on June 26, which provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal without setting a definitive timetable for complete pullback. The deal conditions further withdrawals on the Lebanese army assuming security responsibilities and the disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah — terms that Lebanese officials hailed as a first step toward sovereignty but which the Iran-backed movement rejects.

Hezbollah rejects 'red line' conditions

Hezbollah has dismissed the agreement as "null and void," declaring that linking withdrawal to its disarmament crosses "all red lines." Since March 2, Israeli military operations in Lebanon have killed more than 4,300 people and injured over 12,000 others, according to official figures, while Israeli forces maintain positions more than 10 kilometers inside Lebanese territory and continue to occupy several southern areas.