President Joseph Aoun and First Lady Nehmat Aoun on Friday visited Amani Bazzi Sharara, the mother who lost three of her children and her husband in an Israeli drone strike in Bint Jbeil on September 21.

The mother has been receiving treatment at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Hamra.

Ain el-Tineh sources hit back overnight at remarks by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam about the government’s performance in war-hit south Lebanon, saying that the situation there is obvious and that the public opinion can easily judge it.

Salam had voiced surprise over statements by Berri, who said that “the government does not care about our people in the South.”

The UNESCO Regional Office in Beirut, in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) and the Embassy of Japan, launched the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Program from the Green Demonstration Room at the Center for Educational Research and Development (CERD) in Jounieh.

The multi-faceted program is designed to support students and teachers affected by multiple crises, addressing the urgent need to ensure a safe learning environment by promoting mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, fostering resilience, and ensuring the continuity of learning in Lebanese schools even at the most difficult times.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in Lebanon and the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have announced a new partnership to advance gender equality in conflict-affected Lebanon by responding to Gender-Based Violence (GBV) needs for women, youth, and marginalized communities.

"This partnership represents a significant step forward in strengthening gender equality through national policy engagement, social protection initiatives, and outreach services to reach the most vulnerable populations across Lebanon," UNFPA said in a statement.

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab has said that Lebanon has not received any “foreign warnings” regarding a possible new Israeli war on it, adding that Lebanon is required to monopolize arms, which is a “key file” in the country.

“The army has made major achievements as to arms monopolization, and this matter cannot be completed with the press of a button and requires patience,” Bou Saab told LBCI television.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri accused Thursday the Lebanese government of ignoring the residents of the southern border villages, claiming that the Raouche light show has taken much more attention from the government than rebuilding the war-hit villages in order for the residents to return home.

"Unfortunately, (the government is acting) as if the South is not part of Lebanon," Berri decried, adding that the 2026 budget will not pass if it does not include a clear clause related to the reconstruction.

The British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamish Cowell, has hosted a reception in honor of the Minister of Social Affairs (MoSA) Haneen Sayed and a visiting research team from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) at the University of Sussex, reaffirming the United Kingdom’s "strong and long-standing partnership with Lebanon on social protection and gender equality," the British embassy said.

The event brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including Members of Parliament from the UK and Lebanon, local and regional partners, civil society representatives, journalists, and advocates, to celebrate "ongoing collaboration and shared priorities in advancing an inclusive social protection system in Lebanon."

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri warned Thursday against Israel's possible reneging on an overnight Gaza ceasefire deal, accusing it of having a history of disrespecting all agreements, including the November ceasefire deal with Lebanon.

Despite the ceasefire, Israel has kept up almost daily attacks on Lebanon, usually saying it is targeting Hezbollah, and has also maintained troops in five areas of southern Lebanon it deems "strategic".

Justice Minister Adel Nassar has appointed judicial investigators into several political assassinations that took place in Lebanon as part of his steps to put an end to impunity, the National News Agency said.

Below is the list of the appointed investigators:

President Joseph Aoun on Thursday welcomed the ceasefire and hostage-release deal between Israel and Hamas, expressing hope that this agreement will constitute a first step towards a permanent ceasefire and an end to the humanitarian suffering of the Palestinian people.

Aoun urged the international and regional communities to keep pushing for a "comprehensive and just peace" in the region, "that would guarantee the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative approved by the Arab Summit in Beirut in 2002."