A Christian political meeting will be held at 4pm Thursday in Bkirki to discuss and approve a political document prepared by the Maronite patriarchate.

Lebanon is the world's second saddest country, an annual U.N. sponsored World Happiness Report said.

The sharpest decline in happiness since 2006-10 was noted in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Jordan, while the Eastern European countries Serbia, Bulgaria and Latvia reported the biggest increases.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said in a statement Thursday that elections are the only solution to the presidential crisis.

"Anyone who says there would be no president without dialogue is actually saying publicly and frankly 'If you do not accept my candidate, there will be no president'," Geagea said. "This is unacceptable and completely rejected.”

While Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari has blamed Hezbollah for the border conflict, he has also said that Israel does not rule out diplomatic solutions to cease the conflict.

The recent de-escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah is not due to the bad weather situations but rather due to a French mediation, European diplomatic sources said.

Israeli warplanes raided Thursday several border towns in south Lebanon, a day after Hezbollah carried out seven attacks on northern Israel and the occupied Shebaa Farms.

Israeli warplanes and drones targeted the towns of al-Odaisseh, Aita al-Shaab, Yaroun, al-Majidieh, while Israeli artillery shelled al-Khiam, Aitaroun and the outskirts of Yaroun.

Displaced residents of Israel's northernmost town have learned to dread hearing from David Azulay -- the man who calls when Hezbollah rockets have crashed into their abandoned homes.

The 57-year-old has been mostly on his own since nearly all of Metula's inhabitants fled following the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in October.

The Israeli army has announced the formation of a new regional brigade on Israel’s border with Syria and Lebanon.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Agriculture and Rural Empowerment (ARE) activity, is providing over 11,000 Lebanese farmers with seeds, seedlings, and compost to bolster food security in Lebanon, USAID said.

“This ongoing initiative aims to mitigate the impact of rising food costs and reduced purchasing power, particularly impacting rural Lebanese communities. On March 20, 2024, USAID Lebanon Mission Director Julie Southfield visited a distribution site in Jbeil to engage with farmers, addressing their challenges and underscoring the vital role of the agriculture sector in Lebanon’s economy,” the U.S agency said in a statement.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has been quoted as saying that “the government is committed to paying compensations to those affected by the Israeli attacks on the south” and that “efforts are underway to secure the needed funds,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Wednesday.