As Lebanon prepares for its parliamentary elections, several media reports and politicians claim that the country is under pressure to postpone the juncture.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denied the claims, in an interview Thursday. No one has urged him to hold or to postpone the elections, he said.

Amal MP Ali Hassan Khalil hit Friday at Prime Minister Nawaf Salam for being a judge who doesn't respect the law, after the latter said that the current electoral law allows expatriates to vote for all 128 deputies.

Salam's comments come as Lebanon heads to parliamentary elections with ambiguity over how the expats would vote. Amal and Hezbollah are in favor of implementing a suspended law that only allows expats to vote for six newly-introduced seats instead of voting for all 128 seats. They argue that they do not enjoy the same campaigning freedom that other parties enjoy abroad.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, who had visited earlier this month several war-hit southern cities and towns, said that the state has returned to south Lebanon "to stay".

He vowed, in a televised interview Thursday, to visit the south again and to secure all means of subsistence for its residents.

An Israeli drone struck Thursday the Ali al-Taher forest in the Nabatieh district.

The Israeli army had earlier said that over recent months, its forces have destroyed Hezbollah infrastructure in south Lebanon, preventing the group from rebuilding itself.

As Cabinet convened Thursday at the Grand Serail, Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar said it is more likely than not that the parliamentary elections will be held on time, with the number of candidates rising to 30.

"The ministry has not received any request to postpone," he told MTV before the cabinet session.

The Lebanese Army can finalize the north Litani disarmament plan within four months “should our armed forces find the same helping and assisting factors that were provided during the implementation of the previous phase,” Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said.

“In order to complete this plan with all its phases, we as a government will work to provide our armed forces with all the necessary capabilities,” Salam said during an iftar banquet.

A decree was issued Thursday calling for an extraordinary session of parliament to begin on March 2 and conclude on March 16.

The decree, signed by President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, outlines the agenda for this extraordinary session, including draft laws already submitted to parliament, those yet to be submitted, and any other draft laws, proposals, or texts that the Parliament Bureau decides to present to the assembly.

Defense Minister Michel Menassa on Wednesday clarified that the Hamat Air base in north Lebanon is “a Lebanese air base belonging to the Lebanese Army Air Force” and that “no other entity within it has any authority or power above Lebanese laws.”

"Recently, news, reports, and writings have increased regarding the military airbase in the Hamat area of the Batroun district in North Lebanon. Some of these are questions and inquiries, some are speculations and scenarios, and some are linked to developments and movements in the region and neighboring countries,” Menassa said.

The Foreign Office in Berlin has warned of a deterioration in the security situation in Lebanon should a war be waged on Iran, cautioning that “in the event of further escalation, flight restrictions could occur at any time.”

It advised German nationals to closely follow travel and security advice and to stock up on food, water and fuel.

The Israeli army dropped overnight into Wednesday stun grenades on the southern border town of Aita al-Shaab and detonated houses in Marwahin and Odaysseh.

Israel has kept up regular strikes on Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to halt more than a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, usually saying it was targeting the group. Troops frequently enter into Lebanese territories on the border and detonate houses there. The Israeli army is also occupying five hills in south Lebanon.