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Israel and Lebanon are changing the venue and timing of their next round of talks, with ambassadors from both sides now set to meet at the U.S. State Department in Washington instead of holding negotiations in Rome next week.
The meeting will focus on developments and the continued implementation of the framework agreement reached in June, according to a U.S. official cited by Axios. Formal negotiations in Rome are now expected to take place in October.
The change in plans follows a clash with several upcoming events. The report cites the Jewish holidays, a Paris conference focused on support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and preparations for the U.N. General Assembly as factors preventing key participants from traveling to Rome as planned.
The two countries have conducted seven rounds of direct negotiations since April. Five rounds have been held in Washington, followed by two in Rome. The talks face opposition from Hezbollah, which has repeatedly rejected the negotiations and has called on the Lebanese government to bring them to an end.
A preliminary understanding reached during the sixth round sets out two "pilot areas" in southern Lebanon where Israeli forces are to withdraw and the Lebanese army is to deploy, establishing a model for a wider withdrawal.
The latest adjustment to the talks comes after the Lebanese army reported 7,700 Israeli violations since the framework agreement was signed on June 26. The army warned that the continued violations threaten the understandings and arrangements already reached between the sides.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry reported that 4,358 people have been killed and 12,359 wounded in Israeli attacks since March 2, while about 360,000 people remained displaced as of August, according to UNHCR.
Israel still holds positions in southern Lebanon, with some areas under occupation for decades and others occupied since the 2023-2024 war. Its presence inside Lebanese territory has grown during the ongoing assault.
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