Israeli Foreign Minister Announces Rome Meeting with Lebanon

Jerusalem, 7 July – In a statement released on Tuesday, Israel’s foreign minister Gidon Saar said the sixth series of direct talks with Lebanon will be held in Rome sometime next week. The upcoming session follows a chain of five high‑level meetings that have been conducted in Washington since April, all under US sponsorship.

Saar did not reveal the exact day, but Israeli news citing ambassador Yechiel Letter suggested that negotiations could start as early as Tuesday. Speaking after a bilateral discussion with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, Saar emphasized Israel’s aspiration for peace while insisting that security considerations remain paramount in any agreement.

The most recent round at the end of June concluded with a provisional framework that included the return of Israeli forces from two southern Lebanese areas where clashes with Hezbollah persist. Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani welcomed the choice of Rome as the venue, describing the city as “the hub of peace and dialogue” and underscoring Italy’s diplomatic commitment to host the US‑facilitated talks.