Despite the setback of Israel’s rejection of a U.S. proposal for indirect negotiations with Lebanon, “contacts have not stopped, both domestically and externally,” Lebanese official sources said.

After President Joseph Aoun’s initiative for indirect negotiations with Israel made tangible progress and discussions reached the extent of forming the negotiating team and the political representative level, the president is still mulling his steps very carefully, the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday.

Lebanese Forces MP George Adwan said Tuesday his party is keen on holding the parliamentary elections on time, urging the government and parliament to vote on an amendment to the law that would allow expats to vote for all 128 seats.

Hezbollah and Amal argue that they do not enjoy the same campaigning freedom that other parties enjoy abroad and are objecting the amendment of the current law, which only allows expats to vote for six newly-introduced seats in parliament.

Washington is investing in the course of “restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty” seeing as it is vital for regional peace after “the progress that has been made in Gaza and Syria,” a U.S. State Department source said.

Israeli ground forces destroyed launching sites belonging to Hezbollah earlier this week in the Shebaa Farms area near the border, the Israeli army said on Tuesday.

Israeli surveillance drones resumed their flights over Beirut and its suburbs on Tuesday morning, a day after they overflew the capital and nearby areas in an intensive manner that sparked concern among residents.

Speaker Nabih Berri said Monday that the proposed course of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel has collapsed due to Israel's rejection of cooperation with a U.S. proposal in this regard.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has said Hezbollah's disarmament should only happen when Lebanon's rights are secured and the country is protected.

In an interview late on Sunday, Bassil stressed that indirect negotiations with Israel should give Lebanon its rights and "a just, permanent, and long-lasting peace". "What is important is that these negotiations don't lead to surrender, our airspace and land and sea borders are constantly violated, and our sovereignty is violated. When Lebanon regains its rights and when it is actually protected, there will no longer be a need for weapons."

As a tenuous ceasefire took hold in Gaza this month, Israel launched more airstrikes on southern Lebanon — 11 months into a ceasefire there.

The bombardment of a construction equipment business killed a Syrian passerby, wounded seven people including two women, and destroyed millions of dollars worth of bulldozers and excavators.

President Joseph Aoun met Monday with Speaker Nabih Berri at the Baabda Palace.

Berri said after the meeting that the meetings with Aoun are "always excellent."