Lebanese President Joseph Aoun gave a positive assessment after the latest round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel held in Rome this week, despite ongoing Israeli airstrikes and shelling.
During a cabinet session on Friday, Aoun said the discussions covered the ceasefire, the destruction and bulldozing of homes, borders, prisoner exchanges, and a "pilot zone," according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency.
He highlighted "positive progress" regarding borders and prisoners, expressing hope that "practical steps will soon emerge." The Lebanese head of state also recalled meetings last month with U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, saying the U.S. administration had shown understanding of Lebanon's situation.
Aoun's remarks aligned with the U.S. State Department's assessment, which described the talks as "productive" and stated that Lebanon and Israel "have moved much closer to reaching an agreement on advancing and expanding the pilot zone process."
However, on the ground in Lebanon, displaced families have voiced growing discontent over Israel's refusal to adhere to the "framework agreement" signed on June 26. On Friday, the Lebanese National News Agency (NNA) reported a series of new Israeli attacks, including one that wounded a Lebanese soldier.
Early that morning, shelling targeted the town of Meiss el-Jabal along with machine-gun fire aimed at the town, while Israeli drones flew over Beirut and its suburbs. The Israeli military later targeted a group of workers repairing water networks in Bint Jbeil, causing an explosion near a mosque in Zawtar al-Sharqiyah.
According to NNA, the Lebanese army said a soldier was "lightly wounded" following an Israeli attack on an army bulldozer in al-Mansouri, Tyre, while on a mission to open roads and clear rubble. Earlier, on Wednesday, Israeli airstrikes and shelling on Tyre wounded at least eight people. The Israeli military also issued a forced evacuation order for the town of al-Mansouri, though residents said the area lies outside Israel's occupied zone.
