An Israeli strike targeted Friday the Ali al-Taher ridge while artillery shelled the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh in southern Lebanon.

Forces set forests ablaze in al-Qantara on Friday and carried out detonations in al-Khiam overnight.

There is “no U.S.-Turkey proposal concerning Lebanon,” nor are there “any U.S.-backed proposals to change the structure of Lebanese politics established by the Taif Accords,” U.S. State Department Spokesman Tommy Pigott has said, in response to a media report in this regard.

“The United States remains fully committed to working with Lebanon and Israel on the Trilateral Framework to end the cycle of conflict once and for all by implementing its key pillars:

Cabinet decided Thursday in a session at the presidential palace to postpone referring Hezbollah's explosives case to the Judicial Council until investigations are concluded, prompting Lebanese Forces ministers to walk out of the session in protest.

Local media reported on Thursday and Friday that Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri had advised Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and President Joseph Aoun against referring the case to the Judicial Council — the country’s highest criminal court for national security issues — to avoid a confrontation with Hezbollah.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea voiced his support for President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and called for immediate judicial action regarding Hezbollah's confiscated explosives, in an interview on Thursday night on MTV’s Sar El Waqt.

"The Lebanese Forces considers itself in the same boat as President General Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam until further notice," Geagea told host Marcel Ghanem, adding that the explosives case "must be referred without delay to the Judicial Council, as it directly threatens national security, civil peace and state authority."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he would inform U.S. President Donald Trump of what Israel intends to do, but will not ask him for a green light to strike Iran.

Netanyahu added that he had issued a directive stating that "the only acceptable solution is the overthrow of the fanatical regime in Iran."

Israeli strikes targeted Thursday Kfartebnit and al-Qantara in southern Lebanon while artillery shelled al-Mansouri, Wadi Zebqine, and Mazraat Bouyout al-Siyyad.

Israeli forces meanwhile carried out detonations in Bani Hayyan and Markaba and advanced toward al-Hebbarieh.

Minister of Justice Adel Nassar has said that the investigation into the file of Hezbollah's explosives shipment "is ongoing and expanding,” in line with “the commitments of President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and the Ministry of Justice that there is no ceiling on the investigations, and no political interference to influence them."

In an interview with Asharq al-Awsat newspaper, Nassar pointed out that the request to refer the file to the Judicial Council "will be a path independent of the current judicial investigations and procedures, in which we have full confidence," emphasizing "our full trust in the judges handling the investigations, namely Public Prosecutor Judge Ahmad Rami Al-Hajj and Government Commissioner to the Military Court Judge Claude Ghanem."

The San Francisco chapter of SEAL (Social and Economic Action for Lebanon) once again turned out for Lebanon on Sunday, October 18, 2026, raising close to $800,000 for Lebanese farmers at its annual benefit gala at the Four Seasons Hotel in Palo Alto.

The nonprofit has worked from the U.S. East Coast for more than a quarter century, and this year marked its fifth consecutive gala in California. More than 200 guests and donors filled the ballroom, hosted by Roula Tamer, chair of SEAL’s board of directors, alongside fellow board members and the event committee.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri believes Lebanon is in dire need of unity. In remarks published Thursday in al-Joumhouria, he called on the Lebanese people to unite and avoid provocative or sectarian speech.

Berri said the situation in the country is "delicate" and demands a great deal of awareness, wisdom, and genuine partnership among all domestic components.

Cabinet will hold a session at 3:00 PM Thursday at the Presidential Palace to discuss a number of vital issues covering financial, judicial and administrative matters.

The agenda also includes a request from the Ministry of Justice to refer the case of explosives seized in Dahr al-Baidar, as well as those seized in the al-Qasr area, to the Judicial Council – the country’s highest criminal court that deals with national security issues.