Lebanon, Israel hold talks in Rome on implementing framework deal

Beirut is hoping for progress towards securing an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.Lebanon and Israel have resumed talks in Rome, with Beirut hoping for progress towards securing an Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon under a United States-brokered deal, although expectations for swift progress remain low.Officials from both countries began two days of meetings at the US embassy in the Italian capital on Tuesday to discuss how to implement the framework agreement aimed at ending the war in Lebanon, Lebanese officials told the Reuters news agency.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies: Reactionslist 2 of 3How late Father Emir Sheikh Hamad built Qatar’s soft powerlist 3 of 3The architect of Qatari autonomyend of listOne of the officials said moving the talks to Rome would make it easier for both countries’ delegations to consult their governments for guidance as they negotiated.The Lebanese presidency stated that President Joseph Aoun instructed the Lebanese delegation to demand the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from two designated areas in southern Lebanon before any further discussions with the Israeli delegation at the meeting.On Monday, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that Italy had offered to host the talks to continue work towards a genuine ceasefire in ⁠Lebanon.“We are also very pleased that Rome can serve as the venue for these meetings. In this way, our capital ⁠becomes a capital of peace,” Tajani said ahead of a European Union meeting in Brussels on Monday.The talks come after a meeting in Washington, DC on June 26 produced an agreement that called for an end to Israel’s war on Lebanon, the disarmament of armed groups – an apparent reference to Hezbollah – the deployment of Lebanese troops to the south and the progressive withdrawal of Israeli forces.