Lebanon has been clearly informed that it can't rebuild what Israel has destroyed in more than a year of war with Hezbollah unless Hezbollah is disarmed.

Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji told Asharq al-Awsat, in remarks published Friday, that Deputy U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Morgan Ortagus has herself, among others before her, told Lebanese leaders that Lebanon will not receive foreign aid before disarming Hezbollah.

MP Ali Fayyad of Hezbollah has stressed that the party is “open to any domestic dialogue course launched by the Lebanese state to address the pending files.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has criticized calls for dialogue with Hezbollah over its arms, calling for a deadline for disarming the group south and north of the Litani river.

In an interview on Thursday night with MTV, Geagea said there is no room for defense strategies and dialogues, calling instead for immediately setting a deadline of six months for the disarmament of Hezbollah.

President Joseph Aoun on Friday inspected the Port of Beirut and met with acting Customs chief Raymond Khoury, the Presidency said.

Beirut port blast investigator Judge Tarek Bitar on Friday interrogated former General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim in the case, in the latter’s first appearance before the magistrate.

An Israeli infantry force on Friday crossed the border into the al-Wazzani parks in south Lebanon, the National News Agency said.

President Joseph Aoun announced Thursday that “Hezbollah has shown a lot of leniency and flexibility in the issue of cooperating in the weapons file according to a specific timeframe.”

The Israeli army ordered Thursday the evacuation of neighborhoods in the southern border town of Aita al-Shaab, media reports said.

On Wednesday, Israel bombed homes in the southern town of Yater after warning residents to evacuate the properties through phone calls.

Hezbollah’s media relations unit on Thursday commented on “the recent news and reports attributed to Hezbollah sources or officials.”

MP Hassan Fadlallah denied Thursday that Hezbollah is smuggling arms through the port of Beirut, describing these claims as "lies".

Al-Arabiya television had quoted Tuesday a Western security source as saying that Hezbollah has "re-imposed its control over Beirut’s port," following the 2020 blast and is receiving arms and cash through the port.