Israeli-Lebanese talks slated to resume in US

Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors are scheduled to resume talks in Washington, D.C. next week to discuss the "Trilateral Framework," which a U.S. State Department official described as "the only viable mechanism to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty and Israel’s security." The next formal discussions will occur in Rome in October, as scheduling conflicts prevented an earlier meeting. These talks follow a U.S.-brokered framework agreement signed on June 26, aimed at disarming non-governmental armed forces in Lebanon.

• Lebanese President Joseph Aoun visited southeastern Lebanon, near the Israeli-controlled security zone, affirming that Israel's withdrawal, the return of prisoners and displaced persons, and reconstruction are "a single goal for all."
• The IDF recently announced the destruction of a large Hezbollah underground network under the Ali al-Taher Ridge in southeastern Lebanon, which was built with Iranian funding and intended for a planned conquest of the Galilee.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz stated that this destruction "completes the achievement of operational control over the Ali al-Taher Ridge, above and below ground."