Beirut [Lebanon], August 5 (ANI): The Israeli military carried out an explosion in the southern Lebanese town of Haddatha on Tuesday (local time), as Israel and Lebanon began a new round of negotiations in Rome aimed at advancing a US-backed framework for de-escalation along the border.

According to Al Jazeera, the explosion came on the opening day of talks intended to move forward a June framework agreement under which Israeli forces would gradually withdraw from southern Lebanon as Hezbollah disarms.

The negotiations, taking place in Rome, are part of ongoing US-mediated efforts to stabilise the Israel-Lebanon border following months of hostilities.

The latest development follows Israeli military operations in southern Lebanon in recent days. On August 1, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had dismantled several underground tunnels beneath the Beaufort Ridge during what it described as a limited operation inside the security zone.

According to the IDF, the tunnel network served as a central command centre for Hezbollah's Bader Unit and had been used to direct attacks against Israeli troops and civilians. The military alleged that the infrastructure had been constructed over two decades, was funded by Iran, and had been used to launch drones, explosive devices and anti-tank missiles toward northern Israel.

The IDF said the underground network posed a threat because it was located about six kilometres from Metula and the Galilee Panhandle. It added that Israeli forces had completed preparations to dismantle the tunnels while remaining on high alert for both defensive and offensive operations.

Meanwhile, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on August 1 strongly condemned Israel's military actions in southern Lebanon, calling them violations of the ceasefire, Lebanon's sovereignty and international law.

In a post on X, Salam said the ongoing explosions, shelling and destruction endangered civilians and damaged archaeological landmarks listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (ANI)