Israeli and Lebanese representatives are returning to Rome for a new round of U.S.-mediated negotiations, marking the seventh direct session since the cease-fire referenced in reports. The three-day meetings are expected to center on southern Lebanon, where the sides are discussing whether to widen existing pilot zones.

The talks come as Washington tries to keep diplomatic momentum alive while also pressing Beirut to take action against Hezbollah infrastructure. That dual track highlights the challenge facing the negotiations: advancing practical security steps on the ground without allowing the broader political dispute to derail contact.

For Israel and Lebanon, the Rome meetings are another test of whether limited understandings can be expanded through outside mediation. The focus on pilot zones suggests an effort to build on narrower arrangements rather than attempt an immediate breakthrough on every contested issue at once.

The latest round also underscores the continuing U.S. role in managing tensions between the two neighbors. With both sides returning for a seventh session, the negotiations appear aimed at preserving a fragile diplomatic channel even as security concerns in southern Lebanon remain at the center of the agenda.