The first day of talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome concluded on Tuesday, with a source describing the talks to The Jerusalem Post as “positive.”

The source added that both Israeli and Lebanese military personnel attended the talks.

US State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott discussed the peace talks in an X/Twitter post later on Tuesday, saying that the negotiations will continue through August 6.

Building directly on the momentum from President Trump’s meeting with President Aoun, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the successful launch of the first pilot zones in southern Lebanon, the latest U.S.-facilitated talks between Israel and Lebanon began today in Rome and will…

— Tommy Pigott (@statedeptspox) August 4, 2026

“These discussions bring together technical teams from both governments to advance full implementation of the Trilateral Framework, including the pilot zone process, verified disarmament of Hezbollah and other Iran-backed security threats, redeployment of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, and laying the ground for a comprehensive peace and security agreement,” said Pigott.

“The United States remains fully committed to supporting both governments as they carry this process forward in a manner that delivers lasting security for both countries, eliminates security threats to Israel, and restores Lebanese state authority throughout the south,” he added.

An Israeli diplomatic source told the Post that talks in Rome are currently centered on a series of technical working groups addressing military coordination, land and maritime border issues, Hezbollah’s disarmament, and an assessment of the pilot zones to determine whether they meet the agreed implementation standards.

Hezbollah’s Qassem denounces talks, Aoun’s role

Shortly before the talks began, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem denounced both the talks and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s role in them in a televised address.

Qassem said that the talks would bring “nothing but shame, humiliation, and successive compromises” for Lebanon.

He also said that Aoun had “not acted as an arbiter, nor as a unifying figure, but has become biased and divisive, which is incompatible with his role and with Lebanon’s strength.”

The last round of talks concluded on July 15 in Rome, during which both parties agreed on the need to disarm and dismantle Hezbollah terrorists, an Israeli official told the Post at the time.

Previous rounds of talks had also been held in Washington, including in June.

IDF operations destroy Hezbollah terror infrastructure

Meanwhile, the IDF’s 401st Armored Brigade ended its eight-month mission in southern Lebanon, targeting and destroying Hezbollah terror infrastructure, the military confirmed on Sunday.

During the operation, the 401st Brigade destroyed over 1,200 Hezbollah structures, the military stated. This included seizing weapons, destroying hundreds of meters of underground tunnel systems, and dismantling terrorist infrastructure.

The brigade also killed more than 60 Hezbollah terrorists and located over 600 weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades, anti-tank missiles, machine guns, and Kalashnikov rifles. 

Amichai Stein, Ruby Sadikman, and Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.

This post was originally published on here.