Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar has held a lengthy meeting with the State Prosecutor Jamal al-Hajjar to coordinate the next steps following Bitar's decision to wrap up the investigation into the case and refer it to the Public Prosecutor's Office for review, paving the way for the issuance of an indictment, a media report said.

Lebanese Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal held "very good" meeting with U.S. military officials in the United States, sources familiar with the matter said.

In remarks to al-Akhbar newspaper, the sources said Haykal sensed "a clear professional understanding from the military leadership regarding the Lebanese Army's approach" to addressing the issue of weapons in Lebanon.

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has again described Lebanon as a “failed state,” noting that “the confessional system does not work.”

“A Maronite president, a Sunni prime minister and a Shia speaker; a 128 parliamentary seats split equally between Islam and Christians; everything is a deadlock,” said Barrack at a seminar organized by the Milken Institute.

Israel is not abiding by the ceasefire as it is still occupying five points in south Lebanon and detaining Lebanese prisoners in Israel, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told CNN.

Salam said the Israeli attacks and violations are undermining the efforts of his government to disarm Hezbollah and expand the state's authority to all Lebanese territory.

Hezbollah is keen on cooperation to achieve the interest of all Lebanese, MP Mohammad Raad said Wednesday after he met with President Joseph Aoun in Baabda.

He added that meetings and talks will continue between Hezbollah and the president to achieve Lebanon's interests. "We are keen on cooperation to achieve the goals of all Lebanese people -- ending the occupation, releasing prisoners, strengthening stability, and the return of our people to their homes and villages," Raad said.

A walled compound in Lebanon housing hundreds of people who fled their homes in Syria after the fall of Bashar Assad over a year ago has drawn allegations that the residents are Assad loyalists, which they deny.

The attention on the compound in Hermel town highlights the sensitivities around Syria's transformation after a long civil war, suspicions that can linger about identity and minorities' fear of retaliation.

Beirut accused Israel of spraying the herbicide glyphosate on the Lebanese side of their shared border, with President Joseph Aoun decrying a "crime against the environment".

After collecting samples following the recent spraying, the agriculture and environment ministries said some of them showed concentrations of glyphosate "20 to 30 times higher than the average" in the area.

U.S. Congressmen Darrell Issa and Darin LaHood, who are of Lebanese origin, have submitted a draft bill seeking the imposition of sanctions on any “foreign person or entity that hinders, obstructs or delays Lebanon's electoral process, including efforts to restrict or prevent Lebanese citizens abroad from voting in parliamentary elections.”

The draft bill was dubbed the “Lebanon Election Integrity and Diaspora Voting Protection Act of 2026''.

"Lebanon is moving forward with firm steps, despite all difficulties," stated Army Chief Rodolphe Haykal during a reception at the Lebanese Embassy in Washington.

Speaking on Tuesday, Haykal expressed his unwavering faith in both the military and the crisis and war-hit country.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot is scheduled to arrive in Beirut on Thursday evening to meet with President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, and Army chief Rodolphe Haykal.

Al-Liwaa newspaper said the talks will discuss the preparations for an international conference to support the Lebanese Army, set to be held in Paris on March 5, with approximately 50 countries expected to attend.