BEIRUT/ANKARA(National Times)- Lebanon has demanded Israel’s withdrawal from two “pilot zones” in the south before participating in the next round of direct talks in Rome, a diplomatic source told AFP on Wednesday while US President Donald Trump was optimistic about the withdrawal despite Israeli comments indicating otherwise.

The source, requesting anonymity, said “Lebanon is stipulating Israel’s withdrawal from two pilot zones in order to participate in the round of negotiations”.

Italy’s foreign ministry had announced that Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors were due to hold direct talks in Rome on July 15 and 16, after several rounds of discussions in Washington aimed at de-escalation. “We welcome with pleasure the announcement that the next round of talks between Israel and Lebanon mediated by the US will take place in Rome,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun was invited to the US on July 21, a White House official told Reuters. The invitation comes at a time when President Trump told reporters in Ankara that he hoped that Israel would withdraw troops from southern Lebanon because “it wanted to” take that step, despite comments from Tel Aviv indicating otherwise.

Trump told reporters he had discussed a withdrawal with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. “Yeah, I think they’re going to. I think they want to,” Trump said. “So we have a deal with Israel and Lebanon. Yeah, they’ll leave. And I think it’s going to work out very well.”

‘Help with Lebanon, Hezbollah’

On the other hand, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa met the US president on the sidelines of the Nato summit where Trump told reporters that he believed Syria “could help with Hezbollah and Lebanon”, without elaborating.

“I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah because, to be honest with you, I think they’d do a better job of doing it,” Trump added.