The latest stances of Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem were “realistic,” Lebanese Presidency sources said.

MP Hassan Fadlallah on Wednesday categorically denied that Hezbollah was behind an attempt to smuggle gold through the Rafik Hariri International Airport, urging authorities to reveal to public opinion all the details related to the allegations.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman on Wednesday expressed the kingdom’s support for the efforts “led by the Lebanese president and Lebanese government to reform institutions, monopolize arms in the hands of the state and preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and safety.”

Pope Leo XIV vowed to take "every effort" Wednesday to work for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine and to actively promote the spirituality and traditions of the eastern rite churches, those Catholic communities with origins in the Mideast and eastern Europe that have been decimated by years of conflict and persecution.

"The church needs you!" Leo told a Holy Year audience of eastern rite pilgrims.

The European Union has announced 8 million Euro to support stability, security and peace in Lebanon, following 13 months of conflict.

The project will be implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday at a meeting of leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council hosted by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh that there is in Lebanon a new chance for peace and for a future "free from the grip of Hezbollah".

"In Lebanon there is a new chance for a future free from the grip of Hezbollah terrorists if the new president and PM can rebuild an effective Lebanese state," Trump said.

Israel's military said it killed a Hezbollah militant in a strike on south Lebanon on Wednesday, the latest attack despite a ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed group.

President Joseph Aoun and Hezbollah “have started to exchange positive messages” aimed at reassuring the group and “dispelling its concerns as well as its suspicion over the election of Aoun as president,” Lebanese political sources said.

Calm returned gradually to the northern city of Tripoli after a tense night that witnessed protests and shooting in the air over a delay in the release the results of the municipal elections that were held on Sunday.

An Israeli drone strike on Tuesday targeted a motorcycle in the southern town of Houla, killing one person, the Health Ministry said.

Israel's military still carries out regular strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure despite a ceasefire deal reached in November following a 66-day war.