Israel and Lebanon will hold a new round of negotiations in Italy's capital Rome next week aimed at advancing talks on outstanding bilateral issues, Israel’s ambassador to the US said on Monday.
"Next week we're sitting (down) in Rome, (on July) 14th and 15th," Yechiel Leiter told the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, DC.
"Now we're bringing teams for each issue," he added.
Leiter acknowledged that significant differences remain between the two sides but expressed optimism that the negotiations could help bridge those gaps.
"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," the ambassador said.
On June 26, Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement under US mediation, which provides for a phased Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory.
The agreement, however, does not set a timetable for a full withdrawal and links further pullbacks to the Lebanese army assuming security responsibilities and the disarmament of non-state armed groups, including Hezbollah.
Lebanese officials said the agreement represented a “first step” toward restoring state sovereignty over all its territory and allowing displaced people to return to their towns.
Hezbollah, however, called the agreement “null and void,” saying that linking Israeli withdrawal to its disarmament crossed “all red lines.”
Since March 2, Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed more than 4,300 people and injured over 12,000 others, according to official figures.
Israeli forces also continue to occupy areas in southern Lebanon, some held for decades and others seized during the 2023-2024 war, while advancing more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into Lebanese territory during the latest offensive.
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