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Lebanon Latest digest, published at 07:00 13 articles

Lebanon: Government Holds Firm on Banning Hezbollah Activity Amid Warnings of Possible Israeli Escalation

Press reports indicated that the Lebanese government is not moving to reverse its decision banning Hezbollah's military activity, with Justice Minister Adel Nassar affirming he will oppose any reversal, while the fate of the dialogue between the presidency and the party remains unclear. In response, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem, speaking at the "Wafaa Festival" marking Hezbollah's Martyrs' Day, stressed that there is "no exclusivity for the resistance's weapon, no control, no prevention and no disarmament under the ceiling of occupation," calling on the government to back down from the "framework agreement," which he said opened a free door with Israel and gave it everything it wanted. He also affirmed that "there is no longer a need for negotiation" and said the priority is halting the aggression, Israel's withdrawal, the return of people to the south and reconstruction. This coincided with a warning from US diplomatic sources that the Lebanon file may be frozen in Washington unless Beirut settles its position on disarmament and confining weapons to the state, and with assessments that the government's August 2025 and March 2026 decisions on restricting weapons and banning Hezbollah's activities have not been implemented.

13 Nov 2026, 01:00 — 13 Nov 2026, 07:00

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Yesterday

01:00 Lebanon: Israeli escalation in the south, Alwani murder probe, and Bilal Erdogan visit raise Israeli concerns

South Lebanon saw a security escalation as Israeli artillery shelling targeted the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, while a Lebanon Debate correspondent reported similar shelling on Kfar Tebnit and illumination flares over Zawtar al-Sharqiya. In Beirut, investigations continued into the killing of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani after security agencies identified two Syrian suspects who fled to Syria; Beirut asked Damascus to arrest and hand them over. The motives have not yet been revealed, while investigations suspect three people, including a detained Lebanese national, amid political accusations against Hezbollah that judicial authorities have not proven.

On the sovereignty file, Head of the Free Patriotic Movement MP Gebran Bassil submitted a proposal to President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to establish an 'international force for guarantee and implementation' in south Lebanon, through a new UN Security Council resolution with effective executive powers and balanced participation by states. It aims to ensure a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory within three months, halt Israeli attacks, strengthen Lebanese sovereignty and establish exclusive state control of weapons. In a related context, former MP Amal Abu Zeid warned of fears of division within the Lebanese Army if it intervenes by force to withdraw Hezbollah's weapons, saying the government must prepare an alternative to UNIFIL, and that Israel failed the framework agreement and offered Lebanon nothing.

Politically, Bilal Erdogan, son of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, began a three-day visit to Lebanon covering Beirut, Tripoli and Akkar. President Joseph Aoun received him at Baabda Palace, and he met Speaker Nabih Berri, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Archbishop Elias Audeh and Walid Jumblatt; he is due to meet Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday. The visit coincided with parliament's approval of a military financial cooperation agreement and a cash support protocol with Turkey, amid Israeli concern about the possible stationing of Turkish soldiers in south Lebanon within an international force and Turkey's participation in rebuilding and strengthening the Lebanese Army. Economically, parliament approved a $100 million credit to pay part of Electricity of Lebanon's dues, while the International Monetary Fund is studying a strategy to reform Lebanese banks.

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2026-11-12

19:10 Continued Israeli strikes on south Lebanon and international maneuvering over UNIFIL's future as Parliament passes funding bills

The Israeli Air Force carried out a series of strikes on areas in southern Lebanon, targeting the village of Mansouri in the Tyre sector and the village of Hadafa in the central sector, as well as raids near the Ali al-Taher heights, Kafr Tebnit and Qantara. While a Lebanon Debate correspondent reported a massive explosion in the town of Kafr Tebnit, preliminary information indicated that an air raid targeted the town, with no details on its causes, the extent of the damage or casualties. In the same context, Israeli warplanes continue to fly at very low altitude over southern Lebanese airspace and to carry out mock raids over several areas.

Diplomatically, attention is focused on the future of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as its mandate nears its end on 31 December, with France and the United States putting forward competing proposals on post-withdrawal arrangements and on preventing a security vacuum in southern Lebanon, noting that Resolution 2790 provides for the termination of the mandate at the end of 2026 and a full withdrawal by the end of 2027, amid American and Israeli opposition to an extension. In this context, Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Gebran Bassil presented to President Joseph Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam a proposal to create an "international guarantee and implementation force" that would ensure a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory within three months, halt Israeli attacks and establish the state's exclusive control over weapons within a year, through a new Security Council resolution. This coincided with a warning from southern sources about direct death and harm threats against residents of Christian border villages, and an urgent appeal from the heads of the municipalities of Rmeish, Ain Ebel, Debel, Qouzah and Alma al-Shaab to the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and Bishops in Bkerke to warn against Israeli aggressions, displacement and a possible security vacuum with the end of UNIFIL's mission.

In Parliament, the general assembly headed by Speaker Nabih Berri approved an additional appropriation of 2,266,888,755,000 Lebanese pounds for Ogero and another of 8,950,000,000,000 Lebanese pounds to pay part of Electricité du Liban's accumulated dues owed by public administrations and institutions, as well as the "Kafalat" bill to support solar energy loans after Prime Minister Nawaf Salam requested raising the appropriation to 20 million dollars. It also approved a draft law amending Article 19 of Law 319/2019 to settle building violations, and referred to the joint committees a draft law requesting approval of a loan agreement with the World Bank to implement the digital transformation acceleration project. The session witnessed an exchange between Berri and MP Sami Gemayel over remarks by Iranian Shura Council Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, while Bassil reopened the Bisri dam file and demanded that the government explain the real reasons for cancelling three loans for the southern coastal road, the Greater Beirut drinking water supply and the Faculty of Health in Fanar, warning that Lebanese will keep paying 5 billion dollars a year for generators as long as the electricity sector is managed this way, while Gemayel proposed privatizing the sector. MP Waddah Sadek called for a dedicated session to discuss the security and living conditions in Beirut.

On the security front, the Army Command announced the arrest of 52 people in separate operations, including two citizens in the Port of Tripoli area for stabbing a citizen and opening fire earlier, two Palestinians in Damour – Chouf for promoting and consuming drugs, and 48 Syrians at checkpoints in Chidra – Akkar, Madfoun – Batroun and Deir Ammar – Minieh-Danniyeh for moving around without legal papers. In the case of the killing of the former Iraqi MP, Lebanon Debate reported that the identities of two Syrians seen on surveillance cameras at the crime scene had been established and that their handover from Syria was being requested. In Beirut, Bilal Erdogan, son of the Turkish president, arrived at Nejmeh Square to meet Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, and also met Walid Jumblatt and the Metropolitan of Beirut, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan affirmed that Turkey will remain alongside Lebanon and its people. From Antalya, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called at the UN COP31 climate conference for increased international financial support for Lebanon's recovery and reconstruction, noting environmental losses exceeding 512 million dollars due to Israeli aggressions in 2023 and 2024.

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13:00 Lebanon: 31-item legislative session and ongoing Israeli violations in the south

In parliamentary affairs, the Lebanese Parliament's agenda includes a legislative session with 31 items covering financial and service files in the energy, transport and services sectors, as well as social, professional and rights issues. The electricity dues item carries additional political significance amid talk of a political settlement and the return of the Lebanese Forces ministers to the government. Parliament approved the bill on the military financial cooperation agreement and the protocol for implementing the cash support project between the Lebanese and Turkish governments; it also approved an agreement with the government of Ivory Coast on air transport services, the state's contribution to the capital of the Islamic Corporation for Investment, and an agreement with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, while returning a bill canceling 3 loans to the government for further study.

On security, Israeli violations continued in the south: the National News Agency reported an Israeli bombing in the town of Qantara, Lebanon24 reported the explosion of three Israeli drones in southern airspace, Israeli artillery shelling targeted Wadi Zabqin and the outskirts of Mefdoun, accompanied by machine-gun sweeping toward the common lands of Mansouri, and Wadi al-Hujair witnessed machine-gun sweeping from Israeli positions in Qantara toward the valley. This comes amid debate over the future of UNIFIL in south Lebanon, after Resolution 2790 extended the UN force's mandate for the last time until 31 December 2026.

Economically, the IMF mission is expected to finish its mission in Lebanon and leave soon, amid anticipation of the results of its talks with officials. The National Federation of Workers' Unions raised its demand to a minimum wage of $1,500. The Teachers' Syndicate demanded that Finance Minister Yassin Jaber expedite the payment of 200 billion Lebanese pounds to improve the salaries of retired teachers under a law published in the Official Gazette more than three months ago and not yet implemented, warning of worsening suffering for retirees whose salaries do not exceed $200 per month. The Economy Minister revealed violations in the meat sector, with 74 institutions under scrutiny.

Diplomatically, President Joseph Aoun discussed with Bilal Erdogan bilateral relations and enhancing cooperation in investment, reconstruction, trade, tourism and infrastructure; Erdogan affirmed Turkey's support for the Lebanese authorities' efforts to extend state sovereignty over all its territory by its armed forces. From Turkey, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said at the UN climate conference that Lebanon's climate challenges cannot be separated from the repercussions of wars and economic collapse, stressing that recovery and reconstruction must include reclaiming agricultural land, rehabilitating ecosystems and reviving livelihoods. Internally, political disputes continued: former MP Misbah al-Ahdab criticized the army commander's remarks and warned against dragging the army into internal disputes, while Parliament witnessed a dispute between Gemayel and Speaker Nabih Berri over Iranian statements.

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07:00 Lebanon: Israeli Border Buildup, Security Investigations, and Political Deadlock

On 12 November 2026, the security landscape was dominated by an Israeli buildup on the border with Lebanon, as Israeli media reported that the largest part of reserve forces had been moved to the border and readiness raised to the maximum, amid racing regional negotiations and prospects of a military confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Military expert Marcel Baloukji said the buildup aims to reinforce ground operations in southern Lebanon, but he ruled out a wide-scale ground operation and suggested a limited action, while Iran conditions a halt to the war on all fronts, including the Lebanese one, and Lebanon’s fate remains tied to the outcome of US-Iranian negotiations and the extent of implementation of decisions related to the monopoly on weapons.

In the north, the Internal Security Forces arrested five people suspected of links to Hezbollah in a mountainous area adjacent to the Bsharri and Batroun districts after they tried to flee and tear up documents. Documents were seized containing references to the 'Rashkida plan' and the 'Koura plan', the distribution of groups, weapons requests and snipers, with judicial information suggesting their mission may have been reconnaissance. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed that investigations have no ceiling but the law, while Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar announced that the Information Branch is pursuing three cases: the investigations with detainees in the Bsharri-Tannourine cell, the killing of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani, whose body was found in an apartment in Tariq al-Jdideh, and the seizure of a large quantity of drugs. Alwani's office director, Bashar al-Dulaimi, had demanded a comprehensive Lebanese-Iraqi investigation that does not exclude political motives, while Salam condemned the crime.

Politically, there is a sharp stalemate in communication channels between the Baabda Palace and Hezbollah after the party conditioned the cancellation of government decisions related to confining weapons to the state and its disarmament for a return to dialogue, while the Lebanese authorities insist on rejecting preconditions and the necessity of extending sovereignty. Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem called on the Lebanese Foreign Ministry to summon the ambassadors of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan, considering their joint statement on confining weapons to the state an interference in internal affairs, in a speech marking Martyr's Day in Beirut's southern suburbs. In another file, sources informed of 'Nidaa al-Watan' said the 'Shiite duo' received with strong displeasure the news of the exclusion of Lebanese Consul Ibrahim Sharara from his post in the United States.

On the humanitarian and economic front, the United Nations warned that more than one million people in Lebanon face high levels of acute food insecurity, equivalent to 21 percent of those covered by the analysis in projections extending between September 2026 and February 2027, and the number could rise to 1.15 million people by mid-2027, with conflict-affected areas in southern Lebanon remaining the most alarming. 'Nidaa al-Watan' quoted visitors from a Western capital concerned with Lebanese affairs as conveying pessimistic atmospherics about southern Lebanon and asking: 'Who will fill the vacuum after UNIFIL's departure?', describing the situation as unprecedented since 1978. Economically, a European investment bank expected the Lebanese economy to contract by 5% by the end of the current year and 4% next year, while a report by 'An-Nahar' said pharmaceutical factories raised their market share from about 7% before 2019 to nearly 30% currently.

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01:00 Qassem Ties Hezbollah's Weapons Debate to Israeli Withdrawal as Strikes Hit South During His Speech; Al-Alwani and 'Jroud Cell' Investigations Expand

Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem declared his rejection of "disarming, controlling or banning" the party's weapons, linking any understanding with the Lebanese state and political forces on the "most complex issues," including the party's arms, to Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon and an end to "guardianship." He urged the authorities to back away from the framework agreement and to stop talking about the exclusivity of arms "under the ceiling of aggression," insisting the resistance must remain and prepare, calling for the army to be enabled and funded from the budget without conditional aid, and condemning the statement by five embassies as blatant interference. He said Iran had settled the outcome and that Trump and Netanyahu had been defeated, speaking of an "earthquake in America" with a positive reflection for Lebanon. In parallel, MP Wael Abu Faour said the decision on the state's exclusive hold on arms is "irreversible" and its principle is not up for debate, warning against turning the army into a party to internal division or pushing it into direct confrontation with Hezbollah, while Free Patriotic Movement head MP Gebran Bassil and Lebanese Forces-linked Lebanese National Liberals Party head MP Camille Chamoun stressed restoring the state's full decision-making and sovereignty and confining war and peace decisions to its legitimate institutions.

Israeli strikes accompanied Qassem's speech: Channel Kan reported that the Israeli air force bombed the villages of Haddatha, Mansouri, Braashit and Bani Hayyan in southern Lebanon, before a Lebanon Debate correspondent reported a fresh raid on Mansouri. Separately, Israel's army detected, according to Maariv, movements by suspected Hezbollah members near the Yellow Line in the south carrying binoculars and cameras to monitor Israeli troop deployments, while MTV reported a plan to cancel UNIFIL's role in the south and a visit by Waltz to Beirut on Monday, amid reports of gunfire at a UNIFIL patrol near Wadi Jilo.

On security, the "Jroud cell" file is widening: information obtained by Al-Nahar indicated that the five detainees in the Jroud of Bsharri and Batroun, who are affiliated with Hezbollah and with the "Charitable Association for Reviving the Five Villages" in Bnehrin, tried to destroy documents containing action plans for Tripoli and Koura, task assignments and requests for support and weapons. Investigations are also continuing into the killing of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani in Beirut's Tariq al-Jdideh, with Lebanese-Iraqi coordination and political positions stressing there is no ceiling to the investigation; Iraq's ambassador to Lebanon received al-Alwani's son, MTV aired details and exclusive footage from inside the apartment, and an Iraqi account of a "Sunni figure who summoned him secretly" added to the ambiguity.

On the economic and social front, an IPC analysis showed that about 1.05 million people in Lebanon, or 21 percent of the assessed population, face crisis-level or worse food insecurity through February 2027, with the number expected to rise to about 1.15 million (24 percent) by mid-2027 and those in emergency levels possibly nearly doubling from 52,000 to 97,000. A new round of talks between Lebanon and the International Monetary Fund began over restructuring banking losses and the fate of more than $80 billion in deposits, with the government hoping for a preliminary agreement before the end of the week and the financial gap law before March. Parliament holds a legislative session Thursday with 31 items, notably an additional 8.95 trillion-lira appropriation to pay part of Electricité du Liban's accumulated dues, which could open the door to resolving the government dispute and the return of Lebanese Forces ministers to cabinet sessions. In other files, Lebanese Olympic Committee vice-president and Muay Thai federation head Sami Qablawi warned that Lebanese sport could be suspended internationally if the Ministry of Youth and Sports does not meet the deadline set by the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Council of Asia before November 15; the health minister said hospital spending will exceed $250 million; a dispute between two families in Saida's Saray neighborhood involved gunfire and left one person wounded; and cocaine was found hidden inside whiskey bottles in a Beirut airport bathroom.

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2026-11-11

19:00 Israeli escalation in southern Lebanon, Alwani murder investigation, and UN warning of a food crisis

Lebanon witnessed a security escalation in the south, as Israeli artillery shelled the town of Mansouri in Tyre district and the outskirts of Mafidoun, Israeli warplanes carried out two raids on Wadi al-Hujayr, and mock raids were conducted over Nabatieh and Zahrani amid low-altitude flights. A specialized Lebanese Army unit dismantled an unexploded Israeli aerial bomb in Shhour in Tyre district and moved it to a safe location, while house demolitions continued in Zawtar al-Sharqiya.

On the security and political front, the killing of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani in Beirut dominated the scene after his body was found. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Beirut would not remain a scene of crime and security breakdown and that the era of absent accountability was over. Iraqi Ambassador Mohammed Reda al-Husseini said initial data indicated the body belonged to al-Alwani, and the Public Prosecutor ordered a DNA test. Iraq's president, in a call with Salam, and the Iraqi parliament speaker stressed the need to uncover the circumstances and coordinate with the competent Lebanese authorities, while security agencies worked on unlocking the secret locks and extracting information from al-Alwani's phones.

In another security file, MPs Strida Touq Jaejea and Melhem Touq called for expanding the investigation after five people suspected of belonging to Hezbollah were arrested in a mountainous area between Bsharri and Batroun. They said the detainees tried to tear up papers whose remnants included group names, a distribution of elements, military information and references to sniper weapons, and that they were moving without mobile phones they had left in an apartment in the town of Bnehran in Koura district. Sami Gemayel renewed his call to refer Hezbollah's leadership to the Judicial Council, MP Said al-Asmar criticized Army Commander Rudolf Heikel's remarks, and Heikel discussed upcoming post-UNIFIL arrangements with a German delegation. President Joseph Aoun affirmed that extending state authority over all Lebanese territory includes confining weapons to the state.

On the living conditions front, the United Nations warned that a food crisis threatens more than one million people in Lebanon, amid a strike covering public administrations over the deterioration of the transport allowance and an open-ended strike in official secondary education that Education Minister Rima Karami called to halt and return to teaching. Economically, Judge Rula Othman interrogated Riad Salameh over violating the monetary and credit law, Salam discussed with his Kuwaiti counterpart a loan project to finance improving Lebanon's electricity grid in cooperation with the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, the National Social Security Fund launched payment of subscriptions through money transfer companies, and Qleiat Airport entered the operating phase with the announcement of the first flight dates and the start of bookings.

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13:00 Killing of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani in Beirut dominates the security scene, alongside Israeli shelling and drones in the south and a warning that more than one million people face acute food insecurity

The killing of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani, one of the figures of the Anbar protests, inside an apartment in the Tariq al-Jadida area of Beirut was the most prominent security development, after his body was found days after contact with him was lost. Preliminary security and judicial reports said he was strangled, while the circumstances of the incident and whether it was linked to his political activity remain unclear. Alwani had arrived in Beirut on 5 November coming from Erbil, and preliminary information suggests he was likely killed on the same day he arrived. Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar announced that the Information Branch is conducting parallel investigations into three operations, including the murder of the former MP and the seizure of a large quantity of drugs, while Al-Hadath channel reported Lebanese-Syrian security communication regarding the suspects. Lebanon's judiciary refused to hand over the body pending the completion of DNA testing. From Antalya, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam condemned the crime, stressing that the investigations will have no ceiling other than the law and that Beirut cannot remain a theatre for crime and security breakdown.

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07:00 Lebanon between post-UNIFIL arrangements, Israeli shelling in the south, and the killing of a former Iraqi MP in Beirut

Domestically, the scene centers on the possibility of renewed communication between President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah with the support of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who calls for bilateral dialogue without preconditions aimed at reducing tension and shoring up stability, at a time when Hezbollah insists on keeping its weapons and rejects restricting them to the state. This comes amid a succession struggle within the Amal Movement as Berri's era nears its end, with names cited including Ali Hassan Khalil, Ahmad al-Baalbaki, Qablan Qablan and Hani Qabisi, and with Berri having begun after 2025 to pave the way for a role for his son Basil. An analysis also notes that southern Lebanon has become a devastated land after the Gaza support war and the Iran support war on March 2, with more than 300,000 Shiites displaced and widespread destruction in villages and Nabatieh, and rising anger within the Shiite community and friction between fighters and residents of southern towns who did not leave their homes, while a security source told MTV of a significant decline in Hezbollah's security performance and its growing exposure. In another file, campaigns against Qlayaat airport continue, along with questions about who is trying to obstruct its operation.

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01:00 Lebanon Between Post-UNIFIL Arrangements, Israeli Escalation in the South, and the Alwani Murder

Political discussion in Lebanon is shifting toward the post-UNIFIL phase, as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri braces for the possibility that the "framework agreement" could be turned into a binding UN resolution that would change arrangements in the south. He is awaiting the visit of US envoy Michael Waltz and the meeting with UN coordinator Jean Arnault, and appreciates the move by Free Patriotic Movement head Gebran Bassil to establish an international force for guarantee and implementation. In this context, the G7, meeting from Paris, placed Lebanon at the top of its priorities, with attention directed at the future of the UNIFIL force.

Meanwhile, a US State Department spokesperson responded to remarks by Lebanese Army Commander General Rudolf Heikal about critics of the military institution, asserting that Lebanon's problems are linked to the continued presence of an Iran-backed militia. The spokesperson said the tripartite framework aims to ensure Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon, called on the army to proceed with disarming Hezbollah and dismantling its infrastructure, and noted that Washington has provided more than three billion dollars in security assistance to the army since 2006, including 190 million dollars last year. Domestically, reports spoke of Baabda and "the Party" moving toward dialogue and mutual openness, amid continued divergent positions on weapons and the army.

On the security level, the south witnessed a broad Israeli escalation that included the abduction of a Lebanese citizen and a series of raids, among them a heavy strike on the outskirts of the town of Doubieh in the Bint Jbeil district, another on Wadi al-Salouqi near Chaqra whose missile did not explode, artillery shelling targeting the town of Haddatha and its outskirts, and a large explosion in the town of Tayri, in addition to low-altitude flights by warplanes and a drone dropping a sound bomb on an orchard near al-Amiriya, south of Tyre. UNIFIL announced that a routine patrol came under about twelve rounds of fire near Wadi Jilo, that the patrol returned fire without any peacekeepers being injured, that it considers deliberate attacks on peacekeepers a violation of Security Council Resolution 1701, and it called on the Lebanese government to open a swift investigation.

The murder of former Iraqi MP Ahmed al-Alwani, whose body was found in the Tariq al-Jadida area of Beirut, presented a prominent security case, with Prosecutor General Judge Ahmed Rami al-Hajj personally supervising the Information Branch's investigations. A security source said two Syrians and a Lebanese had rented the apartment where the body was found, while Jamil al-Sayyed spoke of "collusion and a cover-up." On the livelihood front, the Association of Teachers of Official Secondary Education announced the suspension of its strike and the resumption of teaching as of the morning of Wednesday, November 11, after a meeting with the education minister produced amendments to Decision No. 1513, while reports pointed to a European support package worth 2.4 billion euros for Lebanon and to debate over the gold file and the "gap law."

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2026-11-10

19:00 Lebanon: Israeli escalation in the south, international diplomacy on security and withdrawal, and IMF talks

South Lebanon witnessed a series of escalating field developments: areas of Azrael on the outskirts of Kafr Shuba, Wadi al-Hujayr, the surroundings of Zawtar al-Sharqiya and Mifdoun, and Majdal Zoun were shelled; the Israeli army carried out machine-gun sweeping toward Beit Yahoun; a series of explosions struck Qantara in Marjaayoun district, with homes burned inside the town; and an explosion occurred in Tayri. Israeli warplanes flew intensively over Nabatieh, and a military drone flew at low altitude over Beirut, while a US report said 5% of Lebanon is under Israeli control. UNIFIL warned that unexploded ordnance still threatens civilians in the south, and Israel allowed Kafr Shuba residents to cross the «Yellow Line» under heavy guard, as an Israeli person crossed into Lebanon via Ras Naqoura and the United Nations intervened.

Diplomatically, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said after the G7 foreign ministers' meeting in Paris that there was consensus on the need to avoid a security vacuum in south Lebanon after UNIFIL's withdrawal scheduled at the end of the year, and to move quickly toward a new security structure. He warned that the risk of resumed strikes and escalation between the United States and Iran had not been entirely ruled out, and called for supporting regional efforts to open the Strait of Hormuz and reach a political solution. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he was engaged in peace talks between Lebanon and Israel and wanted Israel's withdrawal from south Lebanon to continue, while accusing Hezbollah of destroying the Lebanese state. Parliament's presidency announced that Bassil presented to Speaker Nabih Berri a proposal to form an «international implementation and guarantee force» after UNIFIL's mandate could not be extended for a new term. President Joseph Aoun met Army Commander General Rudolf Heikal and discussed the security situation, especially in the south, and the army's missions.

Domestically, sources following the field and political situation said presidential wisdom spared Lebanon a major crisis over the Dahr al-Baidar explosives file, after Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Claude Ghanem accused 12 people from Hezbollah and the wife of one of them in the explosives truck case, and President Joseph Aoun's performance helped narrow the distance between Baabda and Hezbollah. This coincided with MP Ashraf Rifi warning against partnership under arms, threat or guardianship and rejecting Lebanon's submission to Iranian will, MP Nadim Gemayel warning of a «masked coup», talk of a Syrian message from Damascus to Bkerke to open a new page, and reports of US-French divergence over Lebanon. The Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Ahmed Rami Hajj, also issued a decision to transfer illegal internet subscribers to legal networks within a deadline of three months.

Economically, the first session of negotiations with an IMF mission opened at the Ministry of Finance, headed by Finance Minister Yassin Jaber and attended by Economy Minister Amer Bisat, Central Bank Governor Karim Saeed and representatives of the presidency and the government. Jaber expressed hope for a preliminary agreement this week and stressed that passing the financial gap law is a key entry point to addressing the banking crisis, noting agreement on a hierarchy of loss-bearing. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met an Economic Bodies delegation headed by Mohamed Choucair to discuss economic conditions and measures to mitigate the repercussions of the difficult phase. Bisat announced from Baghdad facilities for Lebanese exports and trucks, and Information Minister Paul Morcos announced government support for activating the Tripoli Special Economic Zone.

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13:00 Israeli escalation in south Lebanon and IMF talks open their decisive round... and the army at the heart of the political debate

South Lebanon witnessed a synchronized field escalation: a correspondent for "Lebanon Debate" recorded an Israeli force advancing toward the town of al-Mari in the Hasbaiya district, while Anadolu reported that Israeli bulldozers were opening a road from the Barakat al-Naqqar area toward Wadi Shebaa, beyond the Blue Line and inside land owned by the town's residents. Shebaa's mukhtar, Mohammad Qassem Nabaa, said the road pushed about one to one and a half kilometers into Lebanese territory, warning of damage to agricultural land and the water line and noting that the number of residents had fallen from around 11,000 in winter to between 5,000 and 5,500. In parallel, Israeli artillery shelling targeted the town of Mansouri.

In the political arena, the office of National Defense Minister Major General Michel Menassa issued a statement stressing that the cabinet's powers are confined to decisions on general defense and security policy and do not extend to issuing orders or instructions to the army command, warning that no Lebanese should be "a dagger in its back," amid positions targeting the military leadership and raising the question of the commander's resignation or dismissal. President Joseph Aoun called for not targeting the army, and the Kataeb Party demanded that the government immediately regain the initiative and fully implement its decisions by extending state authority and restricting arms. In Baabda, Lebanese Forces? no—Free Patriotic Movement head MP Gebran Bassil presented a proposal to the president on international forces, calling for balanced international forces, exclusive state arms, an Israeli withdrawal and a national security strategy, and rejecting any use of the Israeli occupation to impose normalization. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri stressed adherence to Resolution 1701 and warned against ending UNIFIL's mission, rejecting any replacement forces outside the UN framework, while al-Diyar reported that the French proposal faces US and Israeli rejection of any role for Paris, even as Paris adopted the Lebanese proposal for Israel's withdrawal to the armistice line and a 4-km grey zone.

Economically, the Ministry of Finance in Beirut opened the first session of negotiations with the IMF mission, chaired by Finance Minister Yassin Jaber with the participation of Economy Minister Amer Bisat, Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid and representatives of the presidency and the government. Jaber hoped to reach a preliminary agreement this week, stressing that passing the financial gap law is the entry point for addressing the banking crisis, and explaining that the hierarchy of loss-bearing places the state and the Central Bank first, then the banking sector, with the depositor last to bear them; the Central Bank meanwhile announced that no data were available during the consultations. Also on the economy, an analysis based on customs data showed that Lebanon's competitive exports held near $3 billion between 2018 and 2022 (about 87% of the total), but the export base is shrinking: the number of products in which Lebanon has a comparative advantage fell from 216 out of 948 in 2018 to 203 out of 936 in 2022, with $290 million in products losing their advantage.

Other files were recorded the same day, most notably a Lebanese achievement as swimmer Tia Obeid reached the Olympic podium, a security operation targeting drug networks involving cocaine, crystal and Captagon, the army reopening a vital road in West Bekaa after months of closure, warnings over cyberattack risks, and the disclosure that 61% of the displaced response plan remains unfunded, with around $1 billion missing.

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