Lebanon and Israel conclude seventh round of talks in Rome

A senior Lebanese official told Anadolu that the seventh round of US-brokered direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel concluded Thursday in Rome following three days of parallel meetings on military, legal and prisoner issues. The talks, which began Tuesday and ended Thursday, were delayed by approximately one hour for "US-related reasons" and proceeded through three simultaneous sessions covering technical military terminology, political arrangements for phased withdrawal, and prisoner exchange mechanisms, the official said. Discussions on proposed "model areas" for Israel's phased withdrawal entered a serious phase without producing a breakthrough, while the prisoner issue remained complicated by Beirut's lack of comprehensive detention lists.

Parallel talks on prisoners and withdrawal zones

The official said discussions on prisoners proceeded along two tracks, encompassing international law governing detainees and the exchange of prisoner lists, noting that the issue remained difficult for Lebanon because it did not have comprehensive lists of those held by Israel. Efforts were underway to involve the International Committee of the Red Cross in the verification process, he added. The military track focused on technical matters including consultations on military terminology and precise wording, while political talks centered on proposed "model areas" for Israel's phased withdrawal from occupied territory and Lebanon's demand for the renewal and full implementation of the ceasefire, according to the official.

The Israeli delegation requested detailed geographical information about proposed locations including Zawtar al-Sharqiya in southern Nabatieh province to assess surrounding conditions, though no agreement was reached on the sites. The seventh round marked the second hosted by Rome after five previous rounds were held in Washington as part of the US-sponsored negotiating process.

Israeli attacks persist during negotiations

The negotiations took place amid sustained Israeli military operations in Lebanon, including intensive drone and warplane flights over Beirut and Tyre, mock air raids and strikes across the south. Eight people were injured Thursday in a broad Israeli escalation in the Tyre district, while the Lebanese Health Ministry reported that attacks since March 2 have killed 4,333 people and wounded 12,250 others. The official noted that the latest Israeli escalation was not discussed directly during the Rome negotiations but was addressed through a mechanism established on October 27.

Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a US-mediated framework agreement on June 26 providing for phased Israeli withdrawal beginning with pilot models in designated areas, the deployment of the Lebanese army and the disarmament of armed groups including Hezbollah.