Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa has clearly not read his comments on the U.S.-sponsored framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, after the latter accused Jumblat of changing his mind "day to day" about the agreement.

In a post in English on the X platform, Jumblat said Issa's busy schedule had prevented him from reading his comments on the "piece of paper called trilateral framework", adding that he rejects the agreement and that it should be replaced by the armistice agreement cited by the Taef accord and resolution 1701.

The next round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel will be held in Rome during the second half of September, an informed source said.

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa criticized Hezbollah on Thursday, arguing that the Lebanese people broadly agree on the necessity of disarming the group despite differing approaches. "Thus, Hezbollah must hand over its arms to the state," he said.

The remarks came following a meeting with the spiritual head of the Druze community in Lebanon, Sheikh Sami Abi Al-Muna.

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said Thursday during a multi-front situation assessment that numerous challenges remain before Israel.

Noting that Israel is “conducting combat operations on all fronts, from Iran and Lebanon to Gaza,” Zamir adding that the army is also “maintaining a high state of readiness due to the potential for escalation on multiple fronts.”

A Lebanese judge told AFP on Wednesday that he has allowed a transgender woman to update her personal status record and change her gender, a rare move in a country where LGBTQ issues remain highly taboo.

Lebanon has never been a safe haven for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer people, but the community has long been visible and outspoken, defying crackdowns on its bars, nightclubs and community centers.

President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday said Lebanon has “made the decision to negotiate to avoid the devastation and tragedies caused by war.”

“While negotiations are not easy or quick, and there are obstacles and difficulties, they remain far better than war,” Aoun stressed.

The Israeli army has imposed restrictions on the movement of residents of three besieged Christian towns in southern Lebanon, designating a specific route for travel to and from the rest of the country, limited to the southern border town of Naqoura.

As extreme heat fuels wildfires worldwide this summer, Lebanese officials and residents have accused Israel's military of systematically sparking blazes that have burnt swathes of forest and farmland in the country's south.

In the village of Shaqra, Haidar Qoteish, 36, says he has watched fires devour fields and orchards in his hometown of Houla, just five kilometers away but under Israeli military control.

The battle against Hezbollah has not ended yet and the group suffered major damage but is still present as an organization, an Israeli military source said.

President Joseph Aoun has contacted the U.S. administration to find a solution for the strategic Ali Taher hill, in order to prevent any escalation of the situation, Qatar’s al-Araby al-Jadeed news portal reported.