Marking nearly one year since the November Understanding came into effect, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, told the United Nations Security Council that “since that time, noteworthy progress has been achieved on some issues, while others remain at a standstill”.

Briefing the Security Council on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) alongside United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Special Coordinator emphasized that “time is of the essence”, noting that “Lebanon can no longer afford to be perceived as dragging its feet – on either its participation in dialogue or the establishment of a State monopoly on arms”. While commending the Lebanese Armed Forces for the progress seen in tackling non-State arms, particularly south of the Litani River, Hennis-Plasschaert stressed the outstanding and urgent need for a whole-of-government approach to the extension of State authority. “The army, alone, cannot bring resolution 1701 to life”, she said.

Israeli and U.S. pressure on Lebanon's army to speedily disarm Hezbollah is intensifying, with the army chief cancelling a visit to Washington after officials snubbed him, a military official told AFP.

Lebanon's army has been beefing up its presence in south Lebanon near the Israeli border since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire last November sought to end more than a year of hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group.

Lebanon's most wanted drug trafficker was arrested Thursday after years on the run, authorities said.

Noah Zeiter was taken into custody during a raid near the eastern city of Baalbeck, according to a high-ranking military official. Zeiter eventually turned himself in to military intelligence after a standoff. The official spoke on condition on anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

The French Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned the intensification of Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and called for Israeli withdrawal from Syrian territory.

"Israel must respect Syrian territory," the statement read.

Israel used widely banned cluster munitions in its latest war on Lebanon, The Guardian said in a report, based on photos seen by arms experts.

Cluster munitions are air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapons that release or eject smaller submunitions over a wide area, posing risks to civilians even after attacks as unexploded bomblets can kill or maim civilians and are hard to be located.

The ministers of energy of Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon met Thursday in Amman to discuss a plan to bring gas and electricity to crisis-hit Lebanon from Jordan via Syria.

Joint technical teams would be formed to assess the Syrian and Lebanese infrastructure and see if repairs need to be done as Syria's pipeline and electricity lines were damaged in the decade of civil war.

A “settlement” over Hezbollah’s arms might be reached between the U.S., Saudi Arabia and Iran, Lebanon’s Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Thursday.

Iran has presented an offer entailing a 10-year freezing of Hezbollah’s arms with Tehran’s guarantee and a declaration that the group would totally withdraw from the South Litani area, in parallel with Hezbollah’s focus on political action during this period, the daily said.

A wider escalation in Lebanon is highly probable if the situation remains as it is, Egypt's Ambassador to Lebanon Alaa Moussa said Thursday.

Moussa told al-Jadeed TV that the Foreign Ministers of Egypt and France discussed Tuesday the Lebanese file, voicing his support for Hezbollah's disarmament to avoid the escalation.

Marina El Khawand was 18 when she saw her hometown of Beirut shattered by the giant 2020 port explosion and decided she needed to help.

Today, at 24, she is among five laureates at Thursday's Young Activists Summit awards at the U.N. in Geneva, and described how the trauma of that day spawned a movement that has helped provide free medication and consultation to thousands in need.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri called Thursday on supporting the Lebanese army amid an American and domestic campaign against it.

"We should reward the army, its command, soldiers and officers, not question and target their sacred national role against the Israeli aggression and incite against them," Berri said, adding that Israel "has been and still is an obstacle between the Lebanese people and their real, complete independence."