French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday called for accelerated implementation of a November ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah in south Lebanon.

"There have been results... but they must be accelerated and long-lasting. There needs to be complete withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the Lebanese army must hold total monopoly of any weapons" in south Lebanon, he said at a joint press conference with his Lebanese counterpart Joseph Aoun, ahead of a January 26 deadline for the truce implementation.

Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday said he held a “promising” meeting with Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam.

Lebanese judge Tarek Bitar resumed his investigation into the deadly 2020 Beirut port blast on Thursday, charging 10 people including security, customs and military personnel, a judicial official said.

The fresh charges come after a two-year hiatus in the investigation into the August 4, 2020 explosion that killed more than 220 people, injured thousands and devastated swathes of Lebanon's capital.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres Friday urged an end to Israel's "continued occupation" and "military operations" in south Lebanon, after a November ceasefire to end fighting between Israel and militant group Hezbollah.

"The continued occupation by the Israel (military) inside the UNIFIL area operations and the conduct of military operations in Lebanese territory are violations of resolution 1701... They must stop," he told members of the U.N. peacekeeping force as he visited them, referring to the U.N. Security Council decision that ended a 2006 war between both sides.

France's President Emmanuel Macron and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have given "their full support" to the formation of a "strong government" in Lebanon, the French presidency said.

The new government must "bring together Lebanon's diverse people, ensure the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is respected and carry out the reforms necessary for the prosperity, stability and sovereignty of the country", the presidency said Thursday.

The UN Security Council has called for Lebanese leaders to rapidly form a new government, describing it as a "critical" step for stability in the war-battered country and region.

In a statement adopted unanimously, the Council welcomed the January 9 election of President Joseph Aoun, who filled a role that was vacant for over two years, and the nomination of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, urging the new Lebanese leaders to continue to "work constructively to promote the country's stability" and "swiftly" form a government.

France's President Emmanuel Macron was in Lebanon on Friday, where he was due to meet his newly-elected counterpart and offer support to leaders seeking to open a new chapter in their country's turbulent history.

After more than two years of a political vacuum at the top, Joseph Aoun was elected president on January 9 and chose Nawaf Salam as prime minister-designate.

MP Ali Fayyad of Hezbollah’s bloc claimed Thursday that some forces did not honor understandings that allegedly preceded the election of Joseph Aoun as president.

Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam is sseking “direct communication channels” with Hezbollah and the Amal Movement and has been quoted as saying that he wants “a direct dialogue over all matters,” the pro-Hezbollah al-Akhbar newspaper reported on Thursday.

The lead judicial investigator in the Beirut port blast case, Judge Tarek al-Bitar on Thursday charged 10 new suspects in the case, who include port employees and current and former security officials, Al-Jadeed TV said.

The TV network identified the suspects as port employees Marwan Kaaki and Mohammad Qassabiyeh, the security official in charge of Hangar 12 Rabih Srour, Customs chief Brig. Gen. Raymond Khoury, Customs officer Brig. Gen. Adel Francis, General Security officer Brig. Gen. Najm al-Ahmadiyeh, former General Security officers Munah Sawaya and Mohammad Hassan Mouqalled, Lebanese Army brig. gen. Marwan Eid and former army intelligence chief brig. gen. Edmond Fadel.