Israel-Lebanon talks kick off in Rome; Lebanese army touts foiling of arms smuggling to Hezbollah

Lazar Berman is The Times of Israel's diplomatic reporter

A motorcade arrives for a new round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations at the US Embassy in Rome, Italy, on August 4, 2026. (Tiziana FABI/AFP)
A motorcade arrives for a new round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations at the US Embassy in Rome, Italy, on August 4, 2026. (Tiziana FABI/AFP)

Motorcades arrive in Rome for the seventh round of direct talks between Israel and Lebanon.

The Israeli delegation includes IDF officials, The Times of Israel has learned.

Shortly before talks begin, the Lebanese army releases photos of weapons it intercepted along the Syrian border. The relatively rare publication of operations against weapons destined for Hezbollah is likely meant to show that the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) is taking its disarming mission seriously, thereby increasing pressure on Israel to continue withdrawing from pilot zones in southern Lebanon.

The LAF says that it seized 122mm Grad rockets that had been smuggled from Syria, as well as the pickup used by the two smugglers.

“Search and raid operations were also carried out against the remaining members of the network, resulting in the seizure of war munitions and military equipment,” says the LAF.

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