Six confirmed dead in fire in Brussels

Six people were confirmed dead in a fire that broke out Tuesday morning at the OXY building construction site in central Brussels, Belgian media reported, citing the Brussels Labor Prosecutor’s Office.

The OXY building in De Brouckere Square is undergoing extensive renovation.

The fire started on the second floor. While it was put out quickly, it had spread to the lift shafts and trapped two lifts.

Rescuers managed to open the first lift and found the six victims inside, said Valentina Marocchi, a spokesperson for the Labor Prosecutor’s Office.

The second lift still needs to be checked to ensure that there are no additional victims.

Representatives of Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday began a new round of talks in Rome aimed at advancing the implementation of a ceasefire arrangement and addressing border security issues, according to local media.

The two-day closed-door talks are being held at the U.S. Embassy in Rome and involve diplomatic delegations from the two sides rather than military representatives.

According to media reports, the meeting marks the first round of talks since Israel and Lebanon reached a U.S.-brokered framework agreement in Washington in late June, aimed at paving the way for a final peace accord. At the center of the discussions is the implementation of the so-called “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, which are currently under Israeli military control. Under the framework agreement, Israeli forces are to gradually withdraw from the areas, which will then be transferred to the Lebanese Armed Forces. Israel has made Hezbollah’s disarmament a condition for completing the withdrawal, while Hezbollah insists that Israel must first fully withdraw from Lebanese territory.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said on Tuesday that Israel is ready to move forward with the implementation in these two “pilot zones,” expressing hope that the discussions in Rome will advance the process.

However, media reports indicate that despite agreeing to the withdrawal plans in last month’s accord, Israel has continuously delayed concrete implementation on the ground.

Against this backdrop, Lebanese President Michel Aoun has instructed his delegation to press Israel for an immediate pullout from the two “pilot zones,” hoping the Rome talks will yield “tangible and concrete” progress in enforcing the agreement.