Israel reports troop deaths as Lebanon talks underway in Rome

BEIRUT

Journalists wait for the arrival of delegations for a new round of talks between the Lebanese and Israeli delegations at the U.S. Embassy in Rome on August 4, 2026. (AFP)

Israel said on Aug. 6 that two reservists were killed in combat in southern Lebanon a day earlier, its first military fatalities there since June 28, while U.S.-backed negotiations with Lebanon continued in Rome.

Israel also carried out fresh strikes in southern Lebanon on Aug. 5 after accusing Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire agreement.

Before the strikes, the Israeli military ordered residents of Mansouri to leave their homes and move north. It was the first such evacuation warning in more than a month.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry said a separate Israeli strike on the southern town of Tebnine killed one person and wounded 12 others.

The three-day negotiations in Rome are focused on implementing a framework agreed in June.

The plan calls for Hezbollah’s disarmament, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army, beginning in areas designated as “pilot zones.”

Wednesday’s session ended three hours early at Israel’s request, a source familiar with the negotiations told AFP. Israel’s ambassador to the United States and head of its delegation, Yechiel Leiter, blamed what he called “misleading leaks” by the Lebanese side.

The talks were scheduled to conclude with a final session on Aug. 6.

Hezbollah has rejected the direct negotiations and the demand that it surrender its weapons.

The conflict began in March when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in support of Iran. Israel responded with extensive airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanese authorities say have killed more than 4,300 people.