Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday charged that the quorum for Thursday’s legislative session was secured due to the “collusion” of President Joseph Aoun, Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, warning against the emergence of a new “troika.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday described the Mechanism meeting held in Naqoura as “a continuation of the security dialogue aimed at ensuring the disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese army.”

“During the meeting, ways to promote economic projects were discussed in order to underscore the mutual interest in removing the Hezbollah threat and ensuring sustainable security for residents on both sides of the border,” Netanyahu added, in a statement released by his office.

President Joseph Aoun on Friday emphasized “the priority of the return of the border villages’ residents to their villages, homes and land as a gateway for discussing all the other details” with Israel, after the U.S.-led Mechanism committee held a second meeting in the presence of Lebanese and Israeli civilian officials.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has argued that Israeli strikes against Hezbollah do not violate Lebanon’s sovereignty, noting instead that the Iran-backed group is the party undermining the country’s sovereignty.

In an interview with Al-Arabiya English, Saar said Israel has only “minor” disputes with Lebanon that could be easily resolved, adding that the real problems stem from Hezbollah and Iran.

Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal met Thursday in Paris with French army chief Fabien Mandon ahead of a key meeting with U.S., French and Saudi officials to discuss ways of assisting the army in its mission to boost its presence in the border area.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri described Thursday a series of Israeli strikes on east and south Lebanon as a "message" to a Paris conference dedicated to supporting the Lebanese army.

The meeting in Paris is taking place today with the Lebanese army chief and American and Saudi officials, at a time when France and the United States are pressuring the Lebanese government to accelerate Hezbollah's disarmament.

The Lebanese Ministry of Labor and the American University of Beirut (AUB), through its Government Engagement Platform (GEP), have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a comprehensive framework for long-term collaboration to strengthen Lebanon’s labor sector through evidence, innovation, and institutional capacity building.

The signing ceremony at AUB brought together Dr. Mohamad Haidar, minister of labor; Dr. Fadlo Khouri, AUB president; Dr. Imad Baalbaki, AUB senior vice president for advancement and business development; Dr. Yousof Sidani, dean of the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business at AUB; Dr. Kamal Badr, deputy vice president and dean of the Faculty of Medicine at AUB; Dr. Abla Sibai, dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at AUB; Dr. Mohamad Karaki, director general of the National Social Security Fund; and Marlene Atallah, acting director general of the Ministry of Labor, alongside senior university leadership, faculty members, researchers, and representatives from the Ministry of Labor.

A parliamentary session convened Thursday with the attendance of 67 MPs -- barely meeting the required quorum --, despite a boycott by the Lebanese Forces and Kataeb MPs in protest against Speaker Nabih Berri's refusal to amend the electoral law regarding expatriate voting rights.

The session will discuss a loan by the World Bank for the reconstruction of war-hit regions in Lebanon.

Israeli strikes targeted Thursday heights in Jouroud al-Hermel in eastern Lebanon and several other regions in the south.

In the east, the strikes targeted Zaghrine. In the south, the Israeli military struck Iqlim al-Tuffah, al-Jabbour and al-Rihan heights, and Zawtar near the Litani river.

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab met Wednesday at the Baabda Palace with President Joseph Aoun.

“We discussed the parliamentary (elections) juncture and the current hurdles that are in its way, seeing as bickering and provocation cannot lead to parliamentary elections,” Bou Saab said after the meeting.