U.S. envoy Tom Barrack who is visiting Lebanon amid ongoing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah to disarm after a bruising war with Israel, is "hopeful" and "optimistic" as he works to reach an understanding by the beginning of August that would "re-establish" a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement reached in late November.

Barrack said that Hezbollah disarmament is a domestic issue and that his country is committed to try and make a difference in Lebanon by using its influence to implement the ceasefire agreement.

Hezbollah on Wednesday categorically denied remarks attributed to it by Al-Arabiya and its Al-Hadath channel about its “readiness to clash with the Lebanese state” if it wants to remove its weapons.

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met Wednesday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, after he met on Tuesday and Monday with President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Speaker Nabih Berri and a host of political, religious and financial figures.

Barrack said in a statement from Bkerki that the situation in Lebanon is complicated but assured that everybody is doing their best.

President Joseph Aoun traveled Tuesday to Bahrain on a two-day official visit at the invitation of Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa Al-Khalifa. He was accompanied by Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Tuesday accused President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Nawaf Salam of “undermining the constitution and the Lebanese institutions” by sidelining the government and parliament in their response to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s paper.

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack said Tuesday that he held a "great" meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri and that he is optimistic about his ongoing visit to Lebanon.

The U.S. "is never gonna abandon Lebanon," he told reporters as he arrived for the talks.

Visiting U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has said that the Lebanese Army has to be "properly trained as a peacekeeping force, not as a military offensive force."

In an interview with Tele Liban, Barrack added that Washington has "no demands."

President Joseph Aoun on Monday called on the Lebanese to “unify efforts and act objectively and responsible to keep Lebanon away from the conflict around us,” referring to the latest sectarian bloodshed in neighboring Syria.

Visiting U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met Monday with President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and is scheduled to meet later in the day with political and religious leaders, and on Tuesday with Speaker Nabih Berri.

Israeli drones at dawn targeted a building blocks factory between the towns of Yaroun and Maroun al-Ras as well as the al-Mahafer area on Aitaroun's outskirts, causing no casualties, the National News Agency said

The Health Ministry said Israeli strikes killed two people in south Lebanon on Saturday as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah operatives.