Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon (SCL), on Wednesday briefed the U.N. Security Council, alongside U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

The consultations followed publication of the latest report (S/2024/548) of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the implementation of Resolution 1701 (2006).

Israel prefers diplomacy but will do "whatever it must" to secure its northern border, where its forces are engaged in near-daily clashes with Lebanon's Hezbollah, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.S. Congress on Wednesday.

"Let me be clear: Israel will do whatever it must do to restore security to our northern border and return our people safely to their homes," Netanyahu said, referring to those displaced by the fighting.

Israel has canceled the upcoming school year in areas near the border with Lebanon amid cross-border clashes with Hezbollah. 

Hezbollah on Wednesday released a video showing footage captured by the group’s drones over the Ramat David base in northern Israel.

Hezbollah had released in June a video showing sensitive military and economic sites in Israel's northern strategic city of Haifa and published another video earlier this month captured over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel has criticized Hezbollah for putting Lebanon at the mercy of Hamas and Israel and for trying to influence the presidential file.

Gemayel said in a televised interview on Tuesday night that Hezbollah has failed to impose its hegemony over the presidential file because the opposition, including the Free Patriotic Movement, rallied against it.

The Free Patriotic Movement is "open to everyone", its leader Jebran Bassil said during a dinner ceremony Tuesday.

"We are open to everyone to end the presidential void," Bassil said, adding that he is determined to continue his efforts to end the crisis in Lebanon through dialogue and consultations.

Israeli drones raided Wednesday Kfakila while artillery shelled Kfarshouba, Houla, and the outskirts of Kfar Hamam, and warplanes broke the sound barrier over Nabatieh and Iqlim al-Toffah.

Israeli jets had raided late Tuesday the southern town of Shihine, targeting the Amal-affiliated Islamic Risala Scout Association. No casualties were reported.

The Kataeb party criticized Hezbollah Tuesday for "storing weapons between houses".

"Hiding weapons between houses does not support Gaza," al-Kataeb said in a statement, mentioning a strike on "an ammunition depot" in Adloun in south Lebanon.

An Israeli drone targeted Tuesday a pickup vehicle in the southern town of Shaqra near the border, killing at least one person.

Another person was injured in the strike, local media outlets said.

Opposition MPs filed Monday a petition asking for a parliamentary session to discuss the ongoing clashes on the southern border.

The petition asks Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to call for a session to discuss the daily border clashes between Hezbollah and the Israeli army, in order to avoid any further escalation.