Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has noted that he is “not carrying out an initiative, but rather an effort to finalize the presidential juncture.”

“We agree with Speaker Nabih Berri that the priority is for consensus over a president prior to the election, which would give a success chance to the new presidential tenure, contrary to the approach of confrontation,” Bassil said at a press conference that he held to announce the outcome of his meetings.

Vatican secretary of state Cardinal Pietro Parolin is visiting Lebanon next week, after he met at the Vatican last week with French Presidential Envoy Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Parolin and Le Drian discussed the situation in Lebanon, the presidential crisis, and the results of the Quintet's efforts, media reports said.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Friday condemned “the continuation of the Israeli attacks on the south and the deliberate killing of its people.”

During a Cabinet session, Mikati also decried “the destruction of towns and the burning of crops,” calling on the international community to “put an end to the destructive and terrorist aggression.”

Hezbollah attacked Friday Kiryat Shmona and Kfar Szold with dozens of rockets, in response to an overnight strike that killed 2 women and injured several civilians in south Lebanon.

Sirens sounded on Friday morning in northern Israel, and police said munitions had fallen in the Kiryat Shmona area, with no immediate sign of victims.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Thursday wrapped up his presidential consultative tour by meeting with the head of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc, MP Mohammad Raad.

An FPM statement said the two men “discussed the stances of the parties on the call for consultations on the basis of agreeing on a presidential candidate or going to a presidential election.”

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein on Thursday warned against any major Israeli attack on south Lebanon.

“I discussed with my Iranian counterpart the dangerous signals about the possibility of an attack on south Lebanon and the expansion of the war’s geography,” Hussein said after meeting acting Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri Kani.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) celebrated Thursday at Notre Dame University-Louaize the impact of its Community Support Program (CSP), which has provided local development assistance to more than 746,000 people across 180 communities in Lebanon over six years (2018-2024).

"This support comes as local municipalities and communities are bearing a particularly heavy toll in trying to provide much-needed public services like water and household electricity against the backdrop of Lebanon’s deepening economic crisis," USAID said in a statement.

Hezbollah launched rocket and drone attacks on several Israeli army bases and positions on Thursday, after an Israeli strike killed one of its senior commanders.

Hezbollah fighters launched "an attack with rockets and drones, targeting six barracks and military sites" while simultaneously flying "squadrons of explosive-laden drones" at three other Israeli bases, the group said in a statement.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea hit out anew Wednesday at Speaker Nabih Berri over the presidential crisis.

“Mr. Speaker Berri, we are pleased that you are not afraid of threats, and accordingly, since you are not afraid of threats nor of anything, you can call for a serious presidential election session with successive rounds so that we elect a president and relieve the Lebanese, at least in this file,” Geagea said in a post on the X platform.

A top Hezbollah official vowed Wednesday that the group would step up its attacks on Israel, after an Israeli drone strike killed a senior commander in south Lebanon the day before.

"We will increase the intensity, strength, quantity and quality of our attacks," the head of Hezbollah's executive council, Sayyed Hashem Safieddine, said, speaking at Abdallah's funeral in Beirut's southern suburbs.