President Joseph Aoun met Wednesday in Baabda with U.S. general Joseph Clearfield, the head of the Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), in the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa.

During the meeting, they discussed the procedures for implementing the framework agreement reached as a result of the Lebanese-American-Israeli negotiations in Washington, in light of General Clearfield's talks in Israel last week, the Presidency said.

Parliament on Wednesday passed a sweeping and long-awaited amnesty law that should benefit thousands of prisoners and wanted people, in the first legislation of its kind since 1991.

The office of the speaker of parliament announced the "approval of a draft law aimed at granting a general amnesty and exceptionally reducing the terms of certain sentences", which had been a demand of various political factions and a topic of debate for years in Lebanon.

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Diodato Abagnara said principles of Security Council Resolution 1701 – adopted exactly two decades ago and which forms basis of UNIFIL’s mandate – remain the cornerstone of efforts to preserve stability in south Lebanon and support peace in the region.

Speaking during a commemorative ceremony at UNIFIL Headquarters in Naqoura, Major General Abagnara said that, in a changing and increasingly complex regional environment, “the principles of Resolution 1701 are more relevant than ever.”

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa announced Tuesday that "the Lebanese-Israeli negotiations are taking place every two or three weeks and are making significant progress and offering a new solution in each round."

The European Union on Tuesday congratulated Lebanon on the adoption of the law abolishing the death penalty, saying it marks a “significant step forward for human rights in the country.”

A heated argument and shouting match were reported Tuesday between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Defense Minister Michel Menassa, after the premier reportedly insisted on preventing the minister from delivering a speech in parliament regarding the general amnesty bill.

The disagreement prompted Menassa to leave the session.

President Joseph Aoun announced Tuesday that the negotiations with Israel are “making progress,” adding that “in any case” the talks “are better than the devastating results of war.”

“The scale of Israeli attacks on our country has decreased since the signing of the framework agreement, which has positively impacted the return of Lebanese citizens to spend the summer in their homeland,” Aoun added.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei on Tuesday strongly condemned "the brutal attacks launched by the Zionist regime in recent days on areas in southern Lebanon," according to the Iranian news agency IRNA.

Washington feels good about where talks between Lebanon and Israel are heading, a U.S. State Department official told Al Arabiya English.

The official’s remarks come despite the fact that the latest session of talks between the two sides was cut short because of Lebanese frustration with continued Israeli bombings and Israeli accusations that the Lebanese side was leaking contents of the meeting.

U.S. President Donald Trump has said that Iran should be “responsible for the damages and death caused to the people of Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, and Gaza,” in response to Iran’s insistence that U.S. payment of war reparations is a pre-condition to any resolution of the ongoing hostilities.

"I am likewise demanding compensation from Iran," Trump said, noting that his demand included not only damages arising from the current war with Iran, but also Iranian attacks on U.S. targets going back more than two decades as well as payments to the families of Iranian protesters killed by authorities over the past 50 years.