The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon as long as it takes to defend settlement in northern Israel and will be free to act to remove threats, an Israeli military source told TASS. "Israel will remain in the security zone as long as it is necessary to protect communities in northern Israel. The establishment of the first pilot zone was agreed upon on July 15, following the sixth round of Lebanese-Israeli talks held in Rome. On July 20, the US Department of State said that three pilot zones had come into effect in Lebanon. On the same day, the IDF said that it had begun to coordinate its actions with the Lebanese military in the pilot zones in southern Lebanon.