Rabbi Elie Abadie left his native Lebanon more than five decades ago and has not even visited since, but his Lebanese roots remain an integral part of his identity.

He has 3,000 Arabic songs on his smart phone. His wife, an American, learned from his mother how to cook the Lebanese dishes he loves.

From his shop in south Lebanon near the Israeli border, Mark Diab says life in his village will be turned upside down when a decades-long United Nations peacekeeping force pulls out next year.

"UNIFIL isn't just business, to us it's family," said Diab, 59, whose sister is among residents of Ibl al-Saqi who have married peacekeepers from the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon over the years. She now lives in Spain.

President Joseph Aoun has met visiting French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot in Baabda, saying he would welcome any effort to prevent a security vacuum in the south if U.N. peacekeepers withdraw as planned at the end of the year.

Barrot is in Beirut for a two-day visit to discuss "mechanisms for an international presence" in the south -- the scene of repeated conflicts between Israel and Hezbollah -- after the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) expires.

The Lebanese Army deployed in and around Dahieh on Saturday following tensions involving Hezbollah supporters.

Concluding a three-day visit to Lebanon, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix reaffirmed the importance of Security Council resolution 1701 and the U.N.'s commitment to supporting peace and stability in Lebanon as UNIFIL prepares for its drawdown and planned withdrawal at the end of its mandate on 31 December 2026.

Lebanese authorities are investigating how a former Syrian militia commander suspected of committing crimes during the government of ousted President Bashar Assad was abducted in Lebanon and taken to Syria, judicial and security officials said.

Qatar will help revive Lebanon's ailing energy sector and solve its chronic problems in providing reliable electricity, the Lebanese and Qatari prime ministers said Friday.

Lebanon’s central bank has this week canceled the local license of Bank Saderat Iran, one of Iran's largest banks, as the United States steps up pressure on countries to sever commercial ties with Tehran.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Central Bank Governor Karim Souaid stated that the move aims to "send a clear signal to the outside world that we are determined to protect our banking sector from any entity that might expose it to the risk of contamination."

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh told Al-Jadeed TV on Friday that he met with a number of Lebanese officials over the past two days to exchange views and positions, describing the atmosphere of the meetings as good.

He added that a recent meeting in New York with Lebanese officials addressed the issue of the controversy over the Iranian ambassador to Lebanon, noting that there are proposals to choose a path acceptable to both parties.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani held talks Friday at the Baabda Palace with President Joseph Aoun.

Speaking after the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed said the discussions covered "bilateral relations between the two countries and ways to implement joint projects that contribute to the security, stability and prosperity of the region."