Lebanon and the European Union on Thursday launched the EU-Lebanon Joint Monitoring Committee, a new platform for strategic dialogue on EU-Lebanon cooperation.

The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri and Minister of Economy and Trade Amer Bisat, serving as Vice-Chair on behalf of the Minister of Finance, alongside EU Ambassador to Lebanon Sandra De Waele and Director for the Middle East and North Africa Division at the European Commission Henrike Trautmann.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that Israel decided to release five captive Lebanese civilians after “significant efforts” were made to “locate and repatriate the remains of leaders of Lebanon’s Jewish community who were abducted and killed” in the mid-1980s.

“As part of the negotiations with Lebanon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed officials to advance efforts to locate and repatriate the remains of leaders of Lebanon’s Jewish community who were abducted and killed by terrorist organizations in the mid-1980s,” the office said.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Thursday that "the safe return of any released Lebanese citizen to their homeland constitutes a significant step towards resolving this file," after Israel released Lebanese captive Malek Ghazi.

"I extend my gratitude to the U.S. administration, and especially to (U.S.) Ambassador (to Lebanon) Michel Issa, for their efforts in this regard," Salam said.

Iran has warned the United States that it would respond forcefully to any Israeli offensive on the Ali al-Taher mountainous ridge in southern ​Lebanon where Iranian military personnel are holed up alongside Hezbollah fighters, three officials briefed on the message told Reuters.

A foreign official with direct ​knowledge of the message, said it was delivered around mid-August and that as a result of U.S. pressure, Israel had put off storming Ali al-Taher.

Israel on Thursday released Lebanese captive Malek Ghazi, who was handed over to the Lebanese Army through the Red Cross.

The FBI has returned three cultural artifacts to representatives of the Lebanese government at a ceremony held in New York.

On behalf of Lebanese Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh Moawad, consul general of Lebanon in New York Talal Daher presided over the affair.

Hezbollah is continuing to gather intelligence in preparation for a scenario in which fighting resumes, Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper has reported.

Political negotiations between Lebanon and Israel will be held in Rome, while military talks may take place in Tampa, Florida, sources told Saudi channel Al-Hadath.

U.S. sources told the channel that Israel is refusing any further withdrawals from southern Lebanon before the completion of work in the so-called pilot zones. The sources added that Lebanon is assuring the Americans that it is fulfilling its obligations in the pilot zones without publicizing the matter.

President Joseph Aoun accused Israel on Thursday of violating the U.S.-brokered framework deal, as it intensified its attacks around the Ali al-Taher hill in south Lebanon.

Despite the framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon and a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding, Lebanon still reports Israeli strikes, artillery shelling and broad demolitions of civilian buildings in southern villages and towns.

Israeli artillery shelled Wednesday night into Thursday al-Mansouri, Bani Hayyan, Wadi al-Hujair and Beit Leef in south Lebanon while strikes hit Nabatieh al-Fawqa and Ali al-Taher.

Israeli forces advanced into Halta and al-Mansouri and detonated houses in Qantara, Bani Hayan, Hadatha and Baraashit.