Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has blasted “the strong opposition that Hezbollah is showing for any cooperation for the rise of the state,” adding that “this is what’s obstructing and delaying everything in Lebanon.”

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, like many other Lebanese, was surprised by U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack's recent comments which questioned the Lebanese government's commitment to disarm Hezbollah following the November 2024 ceasefire with Israel.

In an interview with Sky News Arabia, Barrack had said "the Lebanese, and I don't mean this in a disrespectful way, all they do is talk", claiming that there is no real action on Hezbollah's disarmament.

As world leaders convened in the annual meeting of presidents, prime ministers and monarchs at the United Nations General Assembly with a plea to choose peace over war, President Joseph Aoun called on the General Assembly to stand with Lebanon.

"The Lebanese experience has taught me that there is no development without peace, no peace without justice, and no justice without human rights," Aoun said, as he called for an immediate halt of Israeli aggression on Lebanon, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from occupied Lebanese territory, the release of Lebanese prisoners held in Israel, and a full implementation of U.N. Resolution 1701.

The EU has condemned the Israeli drone strike that killed several civilians including children on Sunday in southern Lebanon’s Bint Jbeil, noting that the incident followed an “escalation” of Israeli attacks and evacuation warnings.

The southern town of Bint Jbeil on Tuesday buried five people, including three children and their father, killed in an Israeli strike over the weekend.

Shadi Charara, a car dealer, was killed while driving home to the southern seaside city of Tyre on Sunday with his wife and four children after having lunch at his father-in-law's house in the town of Bint Jbeil, a few kilometers from the border with Israel.

After Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a memo asking authorities to prohibit the unauthorized use of touristic and archaeological sites, Hezbollah released a new statement about its intention to illuminate the iconic Raouche Rock with images of its slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine.

In its statement, Hezbollah called on supporters to take part in the event at 6:00 pm Thursday, saying the rock will be illuminated with the Lebanese flag at 6:50 pm and with the two pictures from 6:55 pm to 7:00 pm.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday urged an “official Lebanese stance” on the latest alarming remarks by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, saying what he said about “the Lebanese government, army and resistance” is rejected and “contradicts with what he had previously said.”

Paying homage to those who were killed in Israel’s 2024 war on Lebanon, in a statement marking its first anniversary, Berri reiterated “adherence to the ceasefire agreement to which Lebanon through its president, government and resistance have committed since the first moments it went into effect on November 27.”

President Joseph Aoun met overnight in New York with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on the sidelines of the annual U.N. General Assembly meetings.

A Presidency statement said Aoun asked Rubio for U.S. assistance in “asserting Israel’s commitment to the clauses of the November 27, 2024 declaration for the cessation of hostilities in south Lebanon, its withdrawal from the points it is occupying, the return of the Lebanese captives held by it, and the implementation of Resolution 1701 with all its stipulations, especially that the Lebanese side has not carried out any violation of this agreement.”

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam announced Monday that he ordered the relevant authorities to prohibit the unauthorized use of the country’s touristic sites, after Hezbollah sparked controversy by announcing that it would briefly illuminate Lebanon’s iconic Raouche Rock with the images of slain leaders Hassan Nasrallah and Hashem Safieddine.

“Today, I issued a circular to all public administrations and institutions, municipalities, their unions, and all relevant agencies, regarding commitment to enforcing the laws governing the use of public land and sea properties, archaeological and touristic sites, official buildings, and landmarks that carry a unifying national symbolism,” Salam said in a post on X.

As peace along the Blue Line remains a “shared aspiration,” Lebanese officials and local leaders joined UNIFIL peacekeepers today, Monday in marking the International Day of Peace, which fell on Sunday, September 21, at the U.N. mission’s headquarters in Naqoura, UNIFIL said.