Lebanon
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Opposition urges open-ended presidential election session on January 9

The opposition follow-up committee met in Maarab on Tuesday and said it will “intensify efforts and contacts with all parliamentary blocs in a bid to agree on a (presidential) candidate enjoying the broadest support, while insisting on the characteristics needed for the phase of building the state.”

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Why did Hezbollah stage Shebaa Farms attack?

The objective behind Hezbollah’s rocket attack on the occupied Shebaa Farms on Monday was to “deter the Israeli army from continuing its violations,” prominent sources told the pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper in remarks published Tuesday.

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Mikati says Lebanon pushing for Israeli pullout, return of displaced

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati on Tuesday said that “diplomatic contacts are ongoing and were intensified yesterday to halt the Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and secure withdrawal from Lebanese border towns.”

“We stressed during these contacts the priority of stabilizing the situations so that the displaced can return to their towns and areas and the army’s deployment in the south can be expanded,” Mikati told his visitors.

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Iran's ambassador to Lebanon reappears after pager attack

Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon made his first public appearance in Beirut since he was wounded in an attack involving exploding pagers in mid-September.

Mojtaba Amani, who returned to Lebanon over the weekend after undergoing treatment in Iran, visited on Tuesday the scene south of Beirut where Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Sept. 27.

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Bassil: President election shouldn't be linked to events in region

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Tuesday called on the Lebanese to agree on a new president and "distance Lebanon from wars and conflicts."

"We have started political efforts from Dar al-Fatwa and we're concerned with talking to everyone," Bassil said after meeting with Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Daryan.

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Lebanese army launches recruitment drive to bolster presence in the south

The Lebanese army is looking for more recruits as it beefs up its presence in southern Lebanon after the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire.

Lebanon’s army is a respected national institution that kept to the sidelines during the nearly 14-month conflict.

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Israel says won't differentiate between Lebanon and Hezbollah if ceasefire collapses

Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Tuesday that if a ceasefire reached last week collapses, Israel will target the Lebanese state itself and will no longer differentiate between Lebanon and Hezbollah.

"If we return to war, we will act with greater force and penetrate deeper and... there will be no immunity for the state of Lebanon," he said during a tour of Israel’s northern border, adding that "until now, we made a distinction between Lebanon and Hezbollah... it will no longer be the case".

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Lebanon and Israel renew commitment to ceasefire, report says

Lebanese and Israeli officials have reiterated their commitment to the ceasefire agreement despite Monday's flare-up and Israel's numerous violations, informed U.S. sources said.

"The ceasefire monitoring team has arrived in Lebanon to begin its work," the sources told Al-Jazeera, adding that Washington is working with France, Lebanon and Israel to resolve any issue through the ceasefire mechanism.

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Macron meets bin Salman: Lebanon at the 'heart of the discussions'

President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman signed a strategic partnership on Monday aimed at deepening bilateral ties and de-escalating conflict in the Middle East, including Lebanon, where the two leaders called for presidential elections.

The French leader arrived in Saudi Arabia on Monday for a three-day state visit just as a political crisis threatens to topple the French government.

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Israeli strikes kill 11 in south Lebanon but US says 'ceasefire holding'

An Israeli airstrike on the southern village of Hariss killed five people and wounded two while another airstrike on the village of Tallousa killed four and also wounded two.

Israel's military carried out a string of airstrikes late Monday against what it said were Hezbollah fighters, infrastructure and rocket launchers across Lebanon, in response to Hezbollah firing two projectiles toward Mount Dov — a disputed Israeli-occupied territory known as Shebaa Farms in Lebanon where the borders of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel meet. Israel said the projectiles fell in open areas and no injuries were reported.

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