Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced during a Cabinet session that the bearing of arms in Lebanon is confined exclusively to the Lebanese Army, the Internal Security Forces, the General Directorate of General Security, the General Directorate of State Security, Lebanese Customs and municipal police, stressing that storing or transporting weapons under any pretext requires security follow-up, judicial prosecution and the harshest legal penalties against perpetrators. He stressed that the state alone holds the decision of war and peace, calling on Hezbollah to abide by what it had repeatedly declared its agreement to, "no more and no less," and noting that the government asked the Army to prepare an executive plan that only the Cabinet can reconsider. The explosives file also returned to the forefront, with Salam insisting on prosecution up to the harshest penalties.
President Joseph Aoun warned of the seriousness of regional challenges and the possibility of escalation, calling on Lebanese forces to act wisely to spare Lebanon a new shock, and praised the position of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, who considers the Army a red line and adheres to civil peace and dialogue. Aoun renewed Lebanon's solidarity with Saudi Arabia against the attacks it faces, revealed contacts for the return of Saudi flights and tourists, thanked Qatar for its efforts on the energy file, and called for by-elections to fill the vacant Orthodox seat in West Bekaa. On the economic front, Salam announced major progress with Qatar on an integrated offer to address Lebanon's electricity situation and said he would call a Cabinet session devoted exclusively to electricity within the next two weeks.
On the ground, the Israeli army continued its air strikes and artillery shelling on towns in southern Lebanon, including Kfar Tebnit, Mansouri, Beit al-Siyad, Beit Yahoun, Braachit and Habariyeh, with a military force pushing toward the Nabaa al-Khokh area in the Hasbaya district, while military-technical meetings between Beirut and Tel Aviv are underway in Florida to review implementation of the framework agreement. Explosions were reported in the towns of Houla, Rashaf and Rab Thalatheen; an Israeli drone dropped a strange object that exploded at the riverbed in Houmine, sparking a fire, and another drone exploded on the roof of a building in Mayfadoun. In this context, UNIFIL's mandate nears its end on 31 December 2026; the force affirmed it continues its presence and tasks under Resolution 1701, noting it implemented 110 quick-impact projects in 115 towns benefiting about 1.5 million people with funding exceeding $2 million, while the Security Council studies options for the post-mandate phase.
On security, an Army unit in the border area of Akroum in Akkar foiled an operation to smuggle weapons and munitions from Syria into Lebanon and arrested five wanted persons in Akkar and Arsal; the Army also found a tunnel in the Aaqoura – Jbeil area, and the "PEGASUS CEDAR 2026" exercise concluded with military personnel from Lebanon, Britain, the United States and Italy and observers from France, Cyprus, Qatar and Jordan. In Tripoli, the North Appellate Prosecutor ordered the arrest of 27 people after a disturbance inside the criminal court hall, while Damascus formally requested the handover of Suleiman Hilal al-Assad. Brent crude's rise to $112 a barrel, up about 3% and its highest level since 18 May, raised fears of a new fuel shock in Lebanon, while Qleiaat airport prepares to launch its first direct commercial flight to Saudi Arabia on 15 November, and the National Social Security Fund announced payments of 564 billion liras to hospitals and doctors.