The handover of Palestinian weapons resumed Tuesday as the Palestine Liberation Organization surrendered a fifth batch of heavy weapons at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in the southeastern outskirts of the port city of Sidon.

During a visit to Beirut in May, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun agreed that weapons in Lebanon's Palestinian camps would be handed over to the Lebanese authorities.

President Joseph Aoun on Monday hoped the new year will witness “a new birth of Lebanon, so that it becomes a state of institutions, away from the state of sects.”

“History has proven that the Lebanese Army has saved Lebanon many times, and the future will prove that it is Lebanon's only savior, because it is the only institution that works in the country's best interests, free from political, partisan and sectarian considerations,” Aoun told an Army Command delegation that visited him to offer season’s greetings.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa has met with a number of Lebanese ministers in recent days, the U.S. Embassy said on Monday.

“Economic and financial reforms are critical – alongside peace and security -- to secure Lebanon’s stability and restore international confidence,” the Embassy said in a post on X about Issa’s meeting with Economy Minister Amer Bisat.

War and crisis-hit Lebanon will sign Monday a deal with Egypt for energy cooperation that will allow Lebanon to increase its electricity production.

Egypt's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi was in Beirut Monday and met with President Joseph Aoun and Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.

The Lebanese Army on Sunday inspectef four destroyed houses in the southern town of Bint Jbeil at the request of the U.S.-led Mechanism committee, the National News Agency said.

After Cabinet passed a long-awaited banking draft bill that would distribute losses from the 2019 economic crisis amid objections from nine ministers and modest protests, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam appeared a bit agitated as he answered journalists' questions.

The law stipulates that each of the state, the central bank, commercial banks and depositors will share the losses accrued as a result of the financial crisis.

Cabinet approved Friday a long-awaited banking draft bill that would distribute losses from the 2019 economic crisis.

Thirteen ministers voted in favor of the financial gap law amid the objection of nine ministers: three Lebanese Forces ministers, two Hezbollah ministers, Kataeb minister Adel Nassar, and ministers Tamara al-Zein (Amal), Noura Bayrakdarian (Tashnag Party), and Charles al-Hajj.

The Israeli military announced a series of strikes on "Hezbollah targets" in south and east Lebanon on Friday, including "weapons depots" and a "training" complex.

"A number of weapons storage facilities and terrorist infrastructure sites were struck, which were used by Hezbollah to advance terror attacks against the state of Israel," the military said in a statement.

President Joseph Aoun announced Thursday that the Lebanese state will continue with its arms monopolization plan.

Two people were killed Thursday in an Israeli drone strike on a van in the Hawsh al-Sayyed Ali area in the Bekaa.

An Israeli drone strike had overnight targeted a car in the southern town of Jannata, wounding one person, with Israel claiming that it struck a Hezbollah member.