Hezbollah on Friday hit back at the U.S. administration over its announcement that the group is under the control of Iran’s Quds Force, the expeditionary arm of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Defense Minister Michel Menassa visited Friday the Lebanese Army's South Litani headquarters in the southern city of Tyre.

Salam urged the army to maintain its unity, assuring the soldiers that his government is mobilizing all available Arab and international support to enhance human capabilities, modernize equipment, and improve living conditions for military personnel.

U.S. President Donald Trump “has said that he would be willing to talk to Hezbollah if it would lead to an end of conflict, or peace,” Ed Gabriel, the head of the American Task Force on Lebanon, said.

Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri has emphasized the importance of UNIFIL forces' presence in southern Lebanon and their assigned role, both in “maintaining security in the south and in supporting the Lebanese Army's deployment across all Lebanese territory up to the international border, as stipulated in Resolution 1701.”

Israeli strikes and shelling targeted overnight into Thursday Houla, Markaba, Wadi Slouqi, Qabrikha, al-Mansouri, Majdalzoun, Ali al-Taher and Touline, as troops carried out detonations in Zawtar al-Sahrqiyeh, Majdalzoun, al-Mansouri and al-Khiam.

The United Nations peacekeeping force in south Lebanon handed meanwhile one of its positions near al-Khardali to the Lebanese Army.

President Joseph Aoun met Thursday with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and thanked him for his efforts to support Lebanon in resisting Israeli aggression and securing the liberation of its territory.

Aoun urged the Pope to compel Israel to commit to the U.S.-brokered Framework Agreement, halt its daily strikes, and withdraw from the territories its forces are occupying in south Lebanon.

Speaker Nabih Berri noted Wednesday that "what the South is experiencing is intolerable and may even surpass the crimes and massacres perpetrated in Gaza.”

Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil has called for a public parliamentary session to question the government regarding the war, Hezbollah's weapons, and the U.S.-sponsored framework agreement with Israel.

Bassil urged Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to schedule a public session to question the government and demanded transparency regarding the framework agreement.

President Joseph Aoun has received an invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to participate in a preparatory meeting for an international conference to support the Lebanese Army.

The meeting will be held in Paris on September 17 with the participation of military delegations and experts from several countries.

The Israeli army struck and shelled overnight into Wednesday al-Khiam, Mays al-Jabal, the Ali al-Taher hill, the outskirts of Wadi Zebqine and a house in Nabatieh al-Fawqa.

Israeli forces also carried detonations in Hadatha, al-Khiam and al-Mansouri.