Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has projected a positive outlook following the seventh round of Lebanon-Israel meetings held in Rome this week, even as the Israeli military continues its barrage of strikes. During a cabinet session on Friday, Aoun stated that the talks covered the ceasefire, the demolition and bulldozing of homes, border issues, prisoner exchanges, and “pilot zones,” according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.
Aoun noted “positive progress” on borders and prisoners, expressing hope “that practical steps will soon emerge.” These comments echoed the US State Department, which characterized the discussions as “fruitful” and stated that Lebanon and Israel are “much closer to reaching an agreement on advancing and expanding the pilot zones process.” The president also highlighted his meetings last month with US President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, telling the cabinet that the US administration understood Lebanon’s situation.
Despite the diplomatic optimism, displaced families in Lebanon have expressed mounting frustration with Israel’s refusal to abide by the June 26 “framework agreement.” On Friday, Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) reported a series of new Israeli attacks. Early morning artillery shelling targeted the town of Meiss el-Jabal, accompanied by machinegun fire, while Israeli drones flew over Beirut and its suburbs.
The Israeli military also targeted a team of water utility workers in Bint Jbeil as they repaired the local network, according to NNA, and caused an explosion near a mosque in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah. Furthermore, the Lebanese army reported that a soldier was “slightly injured” following an Israeli attack on an army bulldozer in al-Mansouri, Tyre, as it worked to open roads and remove rubble.
The violence in the region remains intense; Tyre came under attack on Wednesday when Israeli air raids and shelling wounded at least eight people. Additionally, the Israeli military issued a forced displacement order for the town of al-Mansouri, despite residents lamenting that the area lies outside Israel’s occupation zone.