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The seventh round of U.S.-mediated negotiations between Lebanon and Israel continued for a second day Wednesday in Rome, with technical details of a pilot-zone plan and efforts to make the ceasefire permanent at the center of discussions.
Delegations from both sides arrived at the U.S. Embassy in the Italian capital during the morning, according to Lebanese media reports.
A senior Lebanese official told Anadolu on Tuesday that the main agenda items included the technical aspects of implementing the pilot zone and turning the ceasefire into a lasting arrangement.
The seventh round of talks is scheduled to last three days.
The Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in Washington met April 14 and April 23 under U.S. mediation as part of preparations for negotiations.
The first meeting, held at the U.S. State Department, was described as the highest-level direct contact between the two countries since 1993.
U.S. President Donald Trump said April 24 that he looked forward to hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun at the White House in the near future.
Direct negotiations with Israel remain one of the most controversial issues in Lebanese politics and public opinion.
Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam have described negotiations as the only necessary option for stopping the bloodshed and reaching a permanent solution.
Hezbollah and groups close to it oppose the process, describing direct contacts as a form of surrender.
Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement on June 26 following the fifth round of negotiations in Washington.
The sixth round of direct talks was held in Rome on July 14 and 15.
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