Hezbollah, which Lebanon plans to disarm by year end, had a formidable arsenal before war with Israel severely weakened the group last year.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said in June that the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500 Hezbollah military positions and weapons depots in the south, after a November ceasefire that sought to end more than a year of hostilities between the foes.

Israel launched a series of air strikes on southern Lebanon on Wednesday night, killing two people including a child.

The strikes wounded at least three people according to the health ministry.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Wednesday that Iran supports its ally Hezbollah in its decisions, after the group rejected a Lebanese government plan to disarm it.

"Any decision on this matter will ultimately rest with Hezbollah itself. We support it from afar, but we do not intervene in its decisions," Araghchi said in a television interview, adding that the group has "rebuilt itself" following setbacks during its war with Israel last year.

Troops killed on Wednesday three "prominent" drug traffickers in a car chase in the country's northeast, the army said.

A military statement said that troops were "pursuing a car carrying the wanted individuals" in Al-Sharawneh, in Baalbek district, describing the three suspects as "among the most prominent and dangerous drug dealers".

Mireille Rebeiz, Dickinson College and Said Abou Zaki, Lebanese American University

Violence continues several weeks after clashes started between armed Bedouin clans, Sunni jihadist groups and Druze fighters on July 14, 2025, in Sweida, a city in southern Syria.

The Amal Movement announced Wednesday that the Lebanese government “should have dedicated its efforts to consolidate the ceasefire and put an end to the Israeli killing machine” instead of taking its Tuesday decision to monopolize arms in the state’s hand before the year’s end.

Her head heavy with a cold, Sarah Jaffal woke up late and shuffled into the kitchen. The silence of the apartment was pierced by the unfamiliar buzzing of a pager lying near a table.

Annoyed but curious, the 21-year-old picked up the device belonging to a family member. She saw a message: "Error," then "Press OK."

The Lebanese Forces lauded Wednesday in a statement the government's decision a day earlier to disarm Hezbollah, describing the move as "historical".

The decision was long overdue, the statement said, adding that it should have been taken 35 years ago.

Environment Minister Tamara al-Zein of the Amal Movement and Health Minister Rakan Nassereddine of Hezbollah will attend Thursday’s cabinet session that will tackle the latest U.S. paper on Hezbollah’s disarmament, the PSP’s al-Anbaa news portal reported, quoting an unnamed source.

Hezbollah announced Wednesday that it will deal with the cabinet’s decision on disarming it by the year’s end “as if it does not exist,” adding that it is “open to dialogue” and to “discussing a national security strategy.”