President Joseph Aoun on Monday called on the Lebanese to “unify efforts and act objectively and responsible to keep Lebanon away from the conflict around us,” referring to the latest sectarian bloodshed in neighboring Syria.

By Asher Kaufman, University of Notre Dame

(THE CONVERSATION) A fragile ceasefire was put in place in southern Syria on July 19, 2025, after days of violence between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes that drew in government forces and prompted Israeli strikes on the capital, Damascus, as a warning to pull back from Druze areas. The United States helped broker the latest agreement, fearing a spillover of violence to other parts of Syria.

While it is yet to be known whether President Joseph Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and PM Nawaf Salam have decided to distance Lebanon’s official response to the U.S. paper from Hezbollah’s stance, the response has been unanimously approved by the three leaders, sources close to them said.

Hezbollah has concerns over the intentions of Speaker Nabih Berri, political sources told the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, reminding of the Speaker’s approval in November of the ceasefire agreement “despite Hezbollah’s objection.”

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim resorted to verbal escalation days before U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s return to Beirut in order to “obtain needed guarantees to reassure his popular base about Hezbollah’s political future in the political structure that is being reconfigured,” political sources informed on the deliberations between Hezbollah and the Amal Movement said.

The Lebanese response delivered to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack on Monday “demanded an end to Israel's violations in return for the removal of arms north of the Litani,” sources told Al-Arabiya television.

Israeli drones at dawn targeted a building blocks factory between the towns of Yaroun and Maroun al-Ras as well as the al-Mahafer area on Aitaroun's outskirts, causing no casualties, the National News Agency said

The Health Ministry said Israeli strikes killed two people in south Lebanon on Saturday as the Israeli military said it targeted Hezbollah operatives.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has noted that the paper presented to Lebanon by U.S. envoy Tom Barrack is for "the implementation of the cessation of hostilities arrangements and not a new agreement" as Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has suggested.

Friday’s meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri lasted 45 minutes and was aimed at “coordinating Lebanese stances prior to U.S. envoy Tom Barrack’s visit” to Lebanon, which will take place on Tuesday, MTV said.

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has said that his group senses the presence of an “existential threat,” citing Israel’s “genocidal war” in Gaza, its attacks on Syria and Iran, the new Islamist rulers in Damascus, and the sectarian massacres in Syria.