Lebanon demands Israel's withdrawal from two "pilot zones" in the south before participating in the next round of direct talks in Rome next week, a diplomatic source told AFP on Wednesday.

The source, requesting anonymity, said "Lebanon is stipulating Israel's withdrawal from two pilot zones in order to participate in the round of negotiations" that Italy and Israel said would take place in Rome on July 15 and 16, following a framework agreement signed last month.

Lebanon's judiciary postponed a hearing scheduled Wednesday for former central bank governor Riad Salameh, accused of embezzling more than $300 million, a judicial official told AFP.

Salameh, who headed the central bank for three decades and was arrested in 2024, has faced numerous accusations including embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion in separate probes in Lebanon and abroad.

The Lebanese judiciary on Wednesday approved the release of crooner-turned-fugitive militant Fadl Shaker months after he surrendered himself to authorities, a judicial official told AFP.

The entertainer, born to a Lebanese father and a Palestinian mother, turned himself over to authorities in October after more than a decade in hiding in a Palestinian refugee camp.

Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel lashed out at Hezbollah Wednesday, accusing the group of dragging Lebanon into occupation.

"The very least you should do is shut up," he said.

Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil has lamented that Israel has “deliberately” targeted “civilians who have no connection to the war – doctors, engineers, paramedics, students, and this time a school principal and her family."

Israeli artillery shelled overnight into Wednesday the strategic hill of Ali al-Taher where Israel claims Hezbollah fighters are hiding in tunnels.

Israeli warplanes also struck overnight a region between Beit Yahoun, Kounine and Baraashit.

President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday the majority of Lebanese people, including Shiites, back the state's move to negotiate with Israel. "I chose negotiations because I could not stand by and watch my country being led into the abyss to serve the interests of another nation," he said, adding that this step could stop the Israeli destruction and bring an end to the occupation.

"This step enjoys the support of the majority of Lebanese people, including members of the Shiite community, who have paid the heaviest price for the wars in the South," Aoun said.

President Joseph Aoun has followed the developments regarding the Iranian attacks that targeted Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday, saying the strikes are “a blatant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both countries, and a flagrant breach of international law and the Charter of the United Nations,” the Presidency said.

Lebanon has agreed to participate in the Rome negotiations after its concerns were calmed and after it secured the presence and sponsorship of the United States, MTV reported on Wednesday.

"This means the negotiations will not be bilateral between Lebanon and Israel, but trilateral under U.S. auspices," MTV said, adding that Lebanon will be represented at the negotiations by Ambassador Nada Moawad and Ambassador Simon Karam.

The Embassy of Lebanon in Washington announced Wednesday that the White House has officially invited President Joseph Aoun to visit Washington and meet with President Donald Trump on July 21.

"The invitation reflects the enduring partnership between Lebanon and the United States and provides an opportunity for the two leaders to discuss issues of mutual interest, including bilateral relations, regional security, and continued U.S. support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, stability, territorial integrity, and state institutions," the Lebanese Embassy said.