Rome Will Host New Israel-Lebanon Talks on August 4

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Rome will host a new round of U.S.-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon on August 4. Addressing parliament's foreign affairs and defense committees, Tajani said the July 14-15 Rome session produced important progress on defining the first pilot zones under the June framework agreement and on replacing Israeli forces with the Lebanese Armed Forces. He described the next meeting as the product of patient diplomacy. The pilot zones are intended to test Lebanese army control in areas vacated by the IDF as the framework advances.