Lebanon, Israel to hold next talks in Italy on 4 August

Lebanon, Israel to hold next talks in Italy on 4 August Lebanon and Israel are scheduled to hold their next round of US-brokered talks on 4 August in Italy, a Lebanese official told Reuters on Wednesday. The two longtime foes have held more than three months of face-to-face talks, billed as a way to put a permanent end to the war since 2 March. The ambassador-level direct meetings are unusual for countries that remain formally at war and have had no normal diplomatic relations through decades of invasion, military occupation and cross-border conflict. Five meetings hosted by the United States produced a framework deal late last month which foresees the disarmament of Hezbollah, the progressive withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon and the deployment of Lebanese troops.