Lebanon has accepted the US invitation to participate in direct talks with Israel, which will be held on July 15 and 16, 2026, in the Italian capital Rome. Information about the upcoming sixth round of diplomatic meetings was initially reported by the Italian Foreign Ministry, and the Russian news agency TASS confirmed the participation of the Lebanese side.
The talks aim to build on the framework agreement reached on June 26 in Washington for a phased withdrawal of Israel from southern Lebanon and the transfer of control to the Lebanese army. Despite the agreement to meet, diplomatic sources in Beirut, quoted by France Presse (AFP), explained that Lebanon is setting an explicit condition: Israel must immediately withdraw from the first two agreed “pilot zones“ in southern Lebanon in order to begin discussions. The Lebanese delegation will be composed entirely of civilian diplomats, and a meeting between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and his American counterpart Donald Trump is expected in Washington on July 21.