Israeli occupying forces opened machine gun fire overnight, trapping a number of residents in the southern town of Harees, who appealed to the Lebanese Army to evacuate them.

German Foreign Minister Johannes Wadephul has proposed deploying a European Union force in Lebanon to replace the U.N. peacekeeping mission whose mandate is soon to expire, in order to prevent a security vacuum.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said the two-decade-long campaign to restrict weapons solely to state authorities and bolster national sovereignty has yielded significant milestones.

In an interview published Friday in the Saudi daily Okaz, Geagea lauded the Lebanese Cabinet, arguing that its participation in direct negotiations with Israel in Washington is a primary indicator of change and a proof that Hezbollah has been defeated.

MP Ali Fayyad of Hezbollah on Friday charged that the Lebanese leadership "has abandoned its people, indifferent to their suffering and the extent of the crimes committed against them by the Israelis."

"This ruling authority seems to have become corrupt and is persisting in its choices despite all the failures and despite all the advice and criticism directed at it from abroad and within, even from its allies," Fayyad added.

The European Union and Lebanon held Thursday a 4th meeting of a Sub-Committee on Transport, Energy, Environment and Water, the EU delegation to Lebanon said.

"The meeting builds on ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation in key sectors, which the EU has significantly supported in recent years, amid current challenges," the European delegation said.

MP Hussein al-Hajj Hassan of Hezbollah stressed Thursday that Hezbollah “will not hand over the weapons.”

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah lashed out Friday at President Joseph Aoun for playing "partisan" politics and "fueling division" instead of uniting the war-torn country.

Fadlallah accused Aoun of "turning the presidential palace into a partisan platform for factions whose history and alignments are well-known."

Baabda sources on Thursday categorically denied rumors circulating about a possible meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, stressing that this matter is “completely off the table, even if they happen to be in Washington at the same time.”

Syrian authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle a shipment of advanced weapons and missiles through the Iraqi-Syrian border, the Syrian interior ministry has announced.

An Israeli-Lebanese-U.S. military meeting will be held electronically on Friday to discuss military details, finalize the two pilot zones, and determine the start date for implementation.