Lebanon Strikes Resume as Israel and Beirut Hold Seventh Round of Rome Talks

Israel resumed strikes in southern Lebanon on 5 August 2026, citing a ceasefire violation by Hezbollah, as US-sponsored talks between the two sides continued in Rome. [1] The resumption of Lebanon strikes occurred even as delegations gathered for the seventh round of negotiations aimed at expanding areas for Hezbollah disarmament and Israeli withdrawal. [2]

Israeli Strikes Resume During Rome Talks

Israeli forces conducted precise strikes and issued an evacuation order for residents of Mansouri to move north, the first such warning since June. [1] Lebanese state media reported one person killed and 11 wounded in a strike, while Israeli media said two soldiers were killed and seven wounded in a booby-trapped building in Majdalzoun. [1] Israeli forces reportedly set fire to a forest near the town of Kfarchouba in southern Lebanon on 5 August 2026. [1] The fresh strikes came alongside the first forced evacuation warning in weeks for the town of Mansouri. [2] Lebanese state media said one person died and 11 were wounded in a separate strike during the Lebanon strikes. [2] Israeli media reported that two soldiers were killed and seven others were wounded in a bomb explosion inside a booby-trapped building in the southern village of Majdalzoun. [1] A separate report noted two Israeli soldiers killed and several others wounded in a bomb explosion after entering a booby-trapped house in the southern Lebanese village of Majdal Selm. [3] The Israeli military stated it had begun conducting precise strikes in southern Lebanon in response to the violation. [1]

Ceasefire Violation Claims and Military Statements

{In its statement, the Israeli military said it was responding to a blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation when it began the precise strikes in southern Lebanon. [1] The military issued the evacuation order shortly after, telling residents of Mansouri that in light of Hezbollah's violations of the ceasefire agreement the Israel Defense Forces were compelled to act against it with force. [1] For safety reasons, residents were ordered to evacuate homes immediately and move north, according to the Arabic-language spokeswoman Ella Waweya. [2] The town of Mansouri, located around nine kilometres south of Tyre and 10 kilometres north of Israel, had seen several Israeli strikes and artillery shelling in recent weeks despite the ceasefire that took hold in June. [1] The municipality of the town had told residents on 22 June that they could return but asked them to avoid the part of the town within Israel's so-called security zone. [2] That security zone designates a strip of territory where Israeli forces continue to operate, running around 10 kilometres deep inside southern Lebanon along its border with Israel. [1] The UN's humanitarian agency had noted just the night before the strikes that more than 800,000 people displaced by earlier fighting had begun heading back home following the recent lull. [1]

Israeli strikes hit southern Lebanon as Rome ceasefire talks continue. — Source: thenewarab

Progress and Tensions in US-Sponsored Negotiations

The Rome talks, the seventh round since March, aim to expand pilot zones for Hezbollah disarmament, Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and Lebanese army deployment. [1] Israel requested the day's session end early over alleged leaks. [1] A framework deal was agreed in June involving Hezbollah disarmament, phased Israeli withdrawal and Lebanese army deployment to the south, yet intermittent strikes have continued. [2] This week's negotiations are the seventh round of Washington-mediated talks since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran. [2] Israel requested that the day's talks with Lebanon end three hours early, with the head of the Israeli delegation, US ambassador Yechiel Leiter, blaming alleged misleading leaks by the Lebanese side. [1] The talks were expected to resume on Thursday for a third and final day. [1] A US State Department official had said the discussions would include expanding the pilot zone process, resolving all outstanding border issues, and working on a comprehensive peace and security agreement. [2] As the delegations met in Rome, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke with his counterpart from Iran, Hezbollah's main patron, and called on Tehran to halt the group's operations. [1] Tajani voiced hope that the talks would yield concrete results. [2] Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said on Tuesday that the direct negotiations would bring nothing but shame, humiliation and successive concessions for Lebanon. [1] Hezbollah has repeatedly rejected the direct talks and refuses to surrender its weapons. [2]

Humanitarian Impact and Displacement Trends

More than 800,000 displaced people had begun returning home after the June lull, but over 360,000 remained displaced. [1] The conflict since March has killed more than 4,300 in Lebanon and 38 Israeli soldiers plus one contractor. [1] The UN's humanitarian agency reported that more than 800,000 people displaced by earlier fighting in Lebanon had begun heading back home following the recent lull in violence, though more than 360,000 remained displaced. [2] The town's municipality told residents on 22 June that they could return, but asked them to avoid the part of the town that fell within Israel's so-called security zone in southern Lebanon. [1] Violence in Lebanon has decreased since the Lebanon-Israel deal and the signing in June of a preliminary US-Iran agreement on the Middle East conflict. [2] Lebanon continued to report intermittent Israeli strikes and shelling, as well as detonations and demolitions in southern villages. [1]

Broader Regional Context and Casualty Figures

The conflict since March has killed more than 4,300 in Lebanon and 38 Israeli soldiers plus one contractor. [2] Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the Middle East war in March with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran. [1] Israel responded with heavy airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,300 people. [2] Since the war between Israel and Hezbollah erupted in early March, Israel's military has lost 38 soldiers and one civilian contractor. [1] Iranian and Omani officials agreed on the coordinates of a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides working on final arrangements for jointly managing traffic through the waterway. [3] Arab foreign ministers met in Amman to discuss Israeli violations in Jerusalem. [3] Israeli forces carried out sweeping raids in several areas of the occupied West Bank, including the Qalandiya refugee camp. [3] An Israeli drone strike killed 1 and injured 12 in southern Lebanon as the second round of Rome talks between Lebanese and Israeli officials concluded. [5]

What to watch next: The Rome talks are scheduled to resume on Thursday for a third and final day, with discussions expected to focus on expanding the pilot zone process and resolving outstanding border issues.