During a meeting to discuss security on the Lebanese-Syrian border, British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell expressed his condolences for the death of a Lebanese soldier in Lebanon last week and called for the restoration of calm on the Blue Line.

Leading international ratings agency Moody's has affirmed the Government of Lebanon's issuer rating at C and has changed the outlook to stable from no outlook.

Each day the Gaza war continues, the ripple effect to neighboring Arab countries will have lasting socioeconomic setbacks, two U.N. agencies have warned.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea no longer expects anything from France or the U.S.

In an interview with French weekly news magazine Valeurs actuelles, Geagea said that France supported Hezbollah's presidential candidate, which he finds "unacceptable."

Parliament convened Thursday morning in a legislative session that did not discuss extending the term of Army chief General Joseph Aoun, ahead of his planned retirement in January.

Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati attended the session boycotted by the Free Patriotic Movement MPs.

Hezbollah targeted Thursday a group of soldiers in the Shumira and the Yeftah barracks, while the Israeli army bombed Jabal al-Bat, Mays al-Jabal, al-Jebbayn, al-Khiam, Blida and the outskirts of al-Taybeh with artillery shells and warplane missiles.

Hezbollah announced the death of another one of its fighters, marking the 100th militant killed since clashes began with the Israeli military along the tense Lebanon-Israel border on Oct. 8.

As Parliament convenes Thursday and Cabinet convenes Friday to discuss extending the term of Army chief General Joseph Aoun, ahead of his planned retirement in January, former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat said he supports Aoun's term extension in the cabinet session on Friday.

Jumblat said in remarks published Wednesday in An-Nahar that he prefers that all posts in the army be occupied, including the army command, chief of staff and the military council.

Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem has stressed that Hezbollah is maintaining “very high preparedness” and that “the frontier in Lebanon will remain open as long as the aggression against Gaza continues.”

The Lebanese Forces accused Wednesday Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil of always obstructing the course of the state, after the latter strongly opposed the extension of the term of Army chief General Joseph Aoun, ahead of his planned retirement in January.

"Bassil is under the illusion that Lebanon is divided between those who support him and those who don't," the LF, which supports the extension of Aoun’s term, said in a statement, sarcastically adding that Bassil believes that there is a global conspiracy against him.

Hezbollah targeted Wednesday several Israeli posts including Malkia, Naqoura, Shumira, and Ramia after a calm morning in the border area in south Lebanon.

The Israeli army meanwhile struck several border towns including Jabal al-Bat, Aitaroun, Mhaibib, al-Labbouneh, al-Naqoura, al-Bustan, Merwahin, Ramia, al-Jebbayn, Yarine, Blida, Kfarshouba, al-Fardis, Rashaya al-Fokhar, al-Khiam and Maroun al-Rass with artillery shelling and warplane and drone missiles.