Lebanon experienced a tense day on multiple fronts, as the embassies of the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and Japan declared support for the Lebanese government's efforts to ensure exclusive possession of arms by the state and called for a speedy and independent judicial path in the Dahr al-Baidar case away from political interference. MP Qassem Hashem criticized the joint statement as a precedent of interference in national affairs and a breach of diplomatic norms and the Vienna Convention. In this context, a Hezbollah delegation including Hussein al-Abdullah, MP Hussein al-Hajj Hassan and lawyer Hussein Hammoud visited the office of Prosecutor General Ahmed Rami al-Hajj and informed him that the explosives belong to the party for resisting Israel, and that any conviction would amount to cutting off the resistance's hand. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned against dragging Lebanon into adventures serving foreign interests, while President Joseph Aoun stressed that Lebanon is an independent and sovereign state and will not accept anyone sharing in its sovereignty, considering positive neutrality a necessity, and asked the Prosecutor General to be strict in pursuing fraud and trafficking in medicines, food and spoiled meat. MP George Atallah called on Hezbollah to stop the support wars, considering responsibility to lie with it, and accused a five-member alliance comprising the Lebanese Forces, the Future Movement, the Marada Movement, the Amal Movement and the Progressive Socialist Party of obstructing the electricity plan.
On the security front, an Israeli force advanced toward the reservoir of the western Zawtar town in southern Lebanon with machine-gun sweeping, and the National News Agency announced an Israeli drone flying over the area where the Lebanese Army operates, while the Israeli army fired heavily toward Wadi Shebaa and carried out sweeping on the Sidana axis. Towns of Braashit, Kfartibnit, Salouqi and Wadi Salouqi from the Chaqra side and the outskirts of Braashit and Kounine were subjected to Israeli airstrikes, and the Israeli army carried out an explosion in the town of Khiam toward Nabaa Ibl, while Shebaa mukhtar Mohammed Qassem Nabaa revealed that Israel carved a two-kilometer road inside Lebanese territory about 15 days ago using six bulldozers and two tanks. Lebanon is officially anticipating a possible strike on Iran within days, with fears of dangerous days; an informed source said Hezbollah may wait two or three days before deciding its participation depending on the Israeli response, the size of the strike and its impact on Iran, while the Israeli army says it will not allow Hezbollah to harm Israelis and will continue removing threats while adhering to the ceasefire agreement.
Economically, the economic bodies discussed with Electricity of Lebanon chairman Naseeb Nasr plans to reform the sector; Nasr announced a workshop to review the tariff and a dynamic mechanism to set it, and revealed that cutting power to public institutions in arrears achieved immediate revenues of $28 million out of dues amounting to $298 million, with progress in a Qatari project to raise production capacity toward 2,980 megawatts, and World Bank representative Mohammed Zakaria Qamh offered a $250 million loan. The Ministry of Economy continued seizing electricity generators, announcing the seizure of four additional generators in Beirut, raising the total to 62 since the start of the year. In other files, the Lebanese Army announced the outcome of wide security operations from the Bekaa to the north, and Akkar witnessed tension after an assault on a van driver, gunfire and an RPG shell fired in the air and an army mobilization, while information said eight people were killed by a gunman who fled to an unknown destination.
Diplomatically and culturally, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji participated in Ottawa in a ceremony raising the Lebanese flag in front of the Canadian Parliament to mark Lebanese Heritage Month, and discussed with House of Commons Speaker Francis Scarpaleggia, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon and Immigration Minister Lena Metlege Diab the possibility of launching a direct flight between Lebanon and Canada, Canadian support for Lebanese institutions and the situation in southern Lebanon. Walid Jumblatt held two separate meetings with Iraq's ambassador Mohammed Reda al-Husseini and Sweden's ambassador Thomas Brondin on the political situation and regional developments. In Beirut, Circus du Liban opened its new season with a show titled 'Fusion' after a seven-year absence, while Zahle municipality continued treatment and maintenance work after the storm.