Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Monday during a ministerial meeting that protecting Lebanon and avoiding any involvement in a new war represent the government's foremost priorities during the current phase.

U.S. President Donald Trump cast doubt on renewed fighting with Iran, telling CNN it was "highly unlikely," ahead of a meeting with mediator Qatar's prime minister on Monday. But Israeli defense minister Israel Katz said Sunday that Israel is not finished with Iran.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has commented on the claims that the ruling authority is confused and hesitant in the face of the possibilities facing the region in the wake of the U.S. and Israeli elections by saying that "it is very unfortunate that the Lebanese people are being misled” with such speculation.

Druze leader Walid Jumblat on Monday noted that "what happened in the U.S. elections does not directly affect us, because what is required in Lebanon is the restriction of weapons exclusively to the state.”

This is “something we have repeatedly called for and we support the policy of the country's president and premier in implementing this matter,” Jumblat added.

Speaker Nabih Berri warned Monday against "major shifts" in Lebanon, urging the Lebanese to unite despite internal divisions, Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab said.

Speaking after a meeting of the Parliamentary Bureau, Bou Saab said Berri called for "prioritizing national interests" above all political differences.

Israeli strikes targeted Monday Kfartebnit and al-Qantara, while artillery shelled al-Mansouri and Majdalzoun in south Lebanon.

Artillery also shelled Marjaayoun overnight and strikes hit Wadi al-Hujair, Hadatha and Baraashit.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has met with a senior Hezbollah delegation amid reports of a rift between the Amal Movement and Hezbollah, al-Modon newspaper reported Monday.

According to the daily's sources, the two allies, recognizing the sensitivity of the prevailing political phase, met to squelch rumors of growing friction and emphasized the need to maintain continuous coordination.

The U.S. State Department continuously reviews information about foreign mission members accredited to the United States, including any national security concerns, and takes appropriate action consistent with U.S. law and international obligations, a State Dept. spokesperson said, after the Lebanese consul in Detroit was declared persona non grata.

"Terrorists murdered Americans and our colleagues in the bombings of the U.S. Embassy compounds in Beirut in 1983 and 1984. We will never forget them," the spokesperson said.

Eyes are turning toward Tel Aviv after Gadi Eisenkot was tasked with forming a new Israeli government.

In this context, a report by the Israeli radio station Kol Chai said that "Eisenkot is planning to withdraw from Lebanon even before he succeeds in forming the government, as he has begun conducting negotiations and arrangements planning for what is known as the 'day after' on the northern front."

The U.S. State Department has declared the Lebanese consul in Michigan persona non grata over social media posts attributed to him praising Hezbollah's 1983 attack on the U.S. Marines in Beirut.

A Hezbollah delegation has visited the Justice Palace in Beirut to discuss the case of the Dahr al-Baidar explosives with State Prosecutor Judge Ahmad Rami al-Hajj, MTV reported.

The delegation comprised the head of the Coordination and Liaison Unit Hussein al-Abdallah, MP Hussein al-Hajj Hassan and the lawyer Hussein Hammoud.