Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil lashed out overnight at Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea after the latter accused him of corruption during a live interview on MTV.

The Parliament approved the 2026 state budget on Thursday after debates that lasted for three days. 59 MPs voted in favor, 34 voted against it, and 11 abstained.

Speaker Nabih Berri asked the media to stop the live broadcast of the session as the debate over the increase of the public sector's salaries turned heated.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has rejected Sheikh Naim Qassem's remarks on the possibility of supporting Iran in case of U.S.-Israeli strikes against it.

"Qassem's remarks are rejected in all standards," Geagea said, adding that Hezbollah's chief has violated all laws and has become "an outlaw".

French Ambassador to Lebanon Hervé Magro has stressed that "the current stage requires a fundamental internal step, namely the restoration of the Lebanese state's monopoly on the use of force."

In an interview with An-Nahar newspaper, distributed by the French Embassy in Beirut, he added: "The time has come to implement this principle, in line with the stances of President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam."

A Lebanese Army delegation departed for the United States on Wednesday to meet with American military officials, ahead of the Army Commander's planned visit to Washington.

The delegation will prepare for General Rodolphe Haykal's visit next week and will meet with head of the 'Mechanism' committee General Joseph Clearfield, Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported Thursday.

The war with Hezbollah has not ended, a retired Israeli Brigadier General said.

"The public mistakenly thinks that the war has ended. That is false. We will enter a period of renewed fighting on all fronts. Lebanon relates directly to what is happening right now in Iran," Amir Avivi said Wednesday.

MP Elias Hankash of the Kataeb Party said Thursday in an address before parliament that “the issue of illegitimate weapons is neither a theoretical issue nor an ordinary political dispute.”

"It has been rather linked in the collective conscience of the Lebanese people to a series of assassinations that claimed the life of martyr (ex-)PM Rafik Hariri, as well as national leaders from the March 14 forces who were colleagues in this parliament, including Pierre Gemayel, Gebran Tueni, Walid Eido and Mohammad Chatah, in addition to security officials such as Wissam al-Hassan, Samer Hanna and others,” Hankash said.

On the occasion of the centenary of Mansour Al Rahbani’s birth (1925–2009), the American University of Beirut (AUB) hosted a special musical and cultural panel celebrating the life and legacy of one of the Arab world’s most influential poets, playwrights, and composers. Mansour Al Rahbani was a visionary Lebanese composer, poet, and playwright. Alongside his brother Assi and legendary singer Fairuz, he revolutionized Arab musical theatre and left an indelible mark on the region’s cultural heritage. The centennial event was organized in collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation, the Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan Chair for Arabic and Islamic Studies at AUB, and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Lebanon.

The panel brought together leading cultural figures to reflect on Al Rahbani’s enduring influence. Participants included Dr. Ali Bin Tamim, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre; Oussama Al Rahbani, composer and son of Mansour Al Rahbani; Hiba Tawaji, Lebanese singer; and Majed Bou Hadir, media personality and moderator. A distinguished audience of diplomats, ambassadors, cultural leaders, and representatives of regional and international cultural institutions attended the event, underscoring the broad significance of Al Rahbani’s legacy.

Cabinet will convene Friday in Baabda with the reconstruction of war-hit regions on its agenda, Speaker Nabih Berri said in a parliament session.

The World Bank estimates the costs of reconstruction and recovery at $11 billion.

Hezbollah MP Ali Fayad accused Israel on Thursday of failing to meet its obligations, despite Hezbollah's compliance with disarming south of the Litani River.

"We have committed to disarming south of the Litani river and not a single bullet was fired but it was met with nothing in return," Fayad said as parliament convened for a third and last day in a row to discuss the 2026 state budget.