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Lebanese journalist says Israel about to escalate, reassuring messages 'misleading'

Lebanese journalist Sami kleib warned Friday that Israel would escalate its targeted assassinations and its attacks in Lebanon in the coming days, but ruled out the possibility of a full-scale war.

Kleib said he has obtained information confirming that Israel will expand its attacks on Hezbollah and on regions that support the group and will intensify its targeting of military and political Hezbollah officials.

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Salam says diplomacy with Israel 'not effective' but sees 'no other options'

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said that diplomacy to end the Israeli violations has failed despite the government's efforts, as Israel despite a ceasefire reached almost a year ago kept up its strikes on Lebanon almost on a daily-basis.

On Friday, a strike on the southern town of Toul killed two people and injured two others, a day after strikes on south and east Lebanon killed four people, including an elderly woman.

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Berri says elections to be held on time, 'no delay, no postponement, no extension'

Kataeb Party leader MP Sami Gemayel told Friday Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri that the right of the Lebanese expatriates to vote in the upcoming parliamentary elections would not "isolate" the Shiites. "The ones isolating them from the rest of the Lebanese are those who are rejecting the logic of the state and holding onto their arms," he said.

Gemayel said that Berri's opinion about the expats' voting does not grant him the right to refuse discussing it in Parliament in a plenary session.

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Two killed in Israeli drone strike on car in Toul

An Israeli drone struck Friday a car in the southern town of Toul, killing two people and wounding two others, a day after Israeli strikes in eastern and southern Lebanon killed four people, including an elderly woman.

The Israeli army identified a man killed in Toul as Abbas Hassan Karaki, saying he was the logistics head of Hezbollah’s southern front command.

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UN Special Coordinator urges Lebanese to be patient amid 'uncertain times'

United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert

Statement marked Friday the United Nations 80th anniversary, urging the Lebanese people to be patient amid "uncertain times".

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Lebanon on the verge of 'dangerous, highly critical phase', report says

Lebanon is being warned by western and Arab officials about a possible Israeli escalation if the army fails to disarm Hezbollah, al-Akhbar newspaper said Thursday.

The pro-Hezbollah daily claimed that Lebanese authorities have been told that "Lebanon is on the verge of a very dangerous and highly critical phase" and that "Israel will not remain idle for long" if the Lebanese state does not implement its disarmament plan, but a western diplomat told local al-Joumhouria newspaper that he sees no signs of a wide war.

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Ortagus in Israel Sunday to discuss preventing Hezbollah rearmament, report says

U.S. envoy Morgan Ortagus will visit Israel next Sunday in diplomatic efforts aimed at "maintaining the ceasefire and preventing Hezbollah from rearming in Lebanon," Israeli media reports said.

The report said that Ortagus would discuss in Israel possible approaches that might be adopted to ensure Hezbollah does not rearm in South Lebanon.

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Paris urges Israel to respect Lebanon ceasefire commitments

In a regular media briefing, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux called on Israel to fully respect its commitments under the ceasefire and withdraw from its five positions in southern Lebanon.

"France has stood by Lebanon for many months, and we are doing everything in our power to preserve the November 27, 2024 agreement. Regarding the Israeli strikes, we condemn in the strongest terms all strikes that kill civilians,” he added.

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Israeli official says attacks aim to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding itself

The latest Israeli military maneuvers on the northern front are aimed at “implementing defense and moving to offense,” an Israeli military official told Al-Arabiya on Thursday.

“We are dealing any immediate threat in Lebanon in a direct manner,” the official said, adding that “any Hezbollah activity along the frontier is being monitored.”

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Israeli airstrikes target outskirts of several Bekaa towns

Violent Israeli airstrikes on Thursday targeted hills surrounding several Bekaa towns including Hermel and Shmestar.

The strikes killed two people, according to the Health Ministry, while several children were wounded by flying glass shrapnel from their school's windows in Shmestar. Many students also fainted according to media reports.

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