Israel-Lebanon Rome Talks End First Day, Resume Wednesday

Israeli and Lebanese delegations concluded the first day of their sixth round of direct talks at the U.S. Embassy in Rome on Tuesday. A U.S. State Department spokesperson described the session as productive and held in a positive atmosphere, saying both sides were eager to move forward and would resume discussions Wednesday. The talks focused on implementing the June 26 framework, including two pilot zones where the Lebanese Army would assume security control as Israeli forces redeploy. Israel is seeking verifiable guarantees that Hezbollah cannot return to the areas before further withdrawals.