Contrary to the reports about the dissatisfaction of some countries with the army’s report on the second phase of the arms monopolization plan, all foreign countries are satisfied and have agreed to the report but they are hoping for quick implementation, official sources told al-Liwaa newspaper.

The daily added that President Joseph Aoun and Army chief Rodolphe Haykal have told the five-nation group for Lebanon, known as the Quintet, that the implementation of the army’s plan north of the Litani has started.

Army Commander General Rodolphe Haykal has discussed, in a meeting in Yarze with the ambassadors of the Five-Nations Group - the U.S., Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, and France, a preparatory meeting that will be held next week in Egypt before the Lebanese Army support conference that will be held in Paris on March 5.

The meeting in Yarze discussed the importance of enhancing the capabilities of the Lebanese Army, as it moves to its next phase of Hezbollah's disarmament - north of the Litani river.

There are intensive political and security contacts with Hezbollah, led by Speaker Nabih Berri, with the aim of reining in any attempt to back Iran militarily should a new war be waged on the Islamic republic, media reports said.

In remarks to the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, Shiite circles warned that such an involvement would be a “suicidal act” that would make the Shiite sect pay “an existential cost.”

Israeli warplanes carried out strikes on the southern area of Tabna near Sidon overnight, with Israel claiming that it targeted Hezbollah arms depots, launchpads and military sites.

Troops also entered the southern border towns of Yaroun and Khiam and detonated two houses there, as incursions into Lebanese border villages increased in frequency in recent weeks.

President Joseph Aoun on Thursday received an official invitation from his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to join him in presiding over the Lebanese Army support conference that will be held in Paris on March 5, the Presidency said.

Israeli forces are on alert on Lebanon’s border out of concerns of a possible escalation with Hezbollah in connection with the growing possibility of a war with Iran, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported.

The Israeli media outlet also said that the United States would inform Israel in advance should it decide to wage an attack on Iran.

The Lebanese Army has been searching for weapons and arms depots in the area north of the Litani River for several months, a media report said.

“Speaking of separation between a first phase and a second phase is not accurate, because whenever informed of the presence of arms, ammunition or depots in a certain place, the army heads to it, regardless whether it’s part of its plan’s first phase or not,” An-Nahar newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Unannounced, U.S.-brokered negotiations between Lebanon and Israel have made major progress, a senior source said.

“These negotiations, led by a high-ranking Lebanese figure, are based on a mutually agreed-upon framework of concessions,” the source told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper.

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri has affirmed that al-Mustaqbal Movement is entering a new phase aimed at reaffirming the path of late PM Rafik Hariri — "one of moderation and dedication to establishing stability in the nation".

Hariri stressed that prosperity in any region of Lebanon will benefit all Lebanese people, regardless of where they are.

UNESCO welcomed Wednesday the completion of parliamentary committee deliberations on Lebanon’s draft Media Law, describing it as a major milestone in a reform process that has spanned nearly 15 years.

The draft law, submitted in late 2025 by the Minister of Information with sustained technical support from UNESCO, will now be referred to the General Assembly for debate and adoption.