President Joseph Aoun told visiting United Nations chief Antonio Guterres that it was necessary for “Israeli forces to withdraw from occupied territories in the south within the deadline set by the ag

“President Macron promised to keep support for the new government,” Mikati said after meeting the French leader at the airport. He added that Macron will meet early Friday with the U.S. and French officers on the ceasefire monitoring committee and will later meet Lebanese officials.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati hosted U.N. Friday evening at his residence in Beirut. The meeting was attended by U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix,

Netanyahu says hostage release to begin Sunday as cabinet meets to approve deal - Netanyahu’s security cabinet is meeting to approve the deal ahead of a wider government vote on Saturday

France is pressing for the swift formation of a Lebanese government. The Lebanese side proposed a technocratic government comprising 24 ministers, aligning with the number of key ministerial portfolios.

UN Resolution 1701, adopted in 2006, calls for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah and the establishment of a demilitarized zone between the Blue Line (the Lebanon-Israel border) and the Litani River in southern Lebanon, restricted to Lebanese Army and UNIFIL forces.

Hezbollah has threatened to resume fighting if Israel does not fully withdraw its forces by the 60-day deadline.

The prime minister of Lebanon says Beirut has sent a “clear message” to the international overseers of the truce deal with Israel that the regime has to completely withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon before the end of January.

The selection of Salam was widely seen as a major political blow to the Lebanese militant group and political party, which has served as the real power in Lebanon for decades

SOUTH LEBANON - On his first working day after being elected president, President Joseph Aoun called for binding parliamentary consultations next Monday to name the prime minister-designate to form the next government.

The US envoy reassured Mikati that Israel will pull out completely from south Lebanon, despite concerns of ceasefire violations in the country.

Najib Mikati’s visit, the first in 15 years, comes amid pressure in Lebanon to release Islamists imprisoned during the civil war and just after the election of President Joseph Aoun.