U.S. President Joe Biden has been personally involved in intense efforts in recent days to reach a hostage and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, U.S. news portal Axios said.

Senior Biden aides said the deal could also pull Israel and Hezbollah back from the brink of war on the Israel-Lebanon border where tensions have been slowly escalating over the past six months, Axios added.

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said "a potential truce in Gaza must be accompanied by a similar truce in Lebanon," as he visited Cairo.

During his visit Wednesday, Sejourne exchanged with Egypt's top diplomat Sameh Shoukry assessments on the ongoing truce negotiations between Hamas and Israel", according to the Egyptian foreign ministry.

Israel's Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said the military was preparing for an offensive against Hezbollah, as he met troops on Lebanon's border amid ongoing skirmishes.

“You are doing an excellent job of operational defense in the north, and we are preparing for an offensive in the north,” Halevi said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides met Thursday with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail.

Army chief Joseph Aoun and Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib also attended the meeting.

For one day, workers ruled the world’s biggest streets.

Workers and activists around the world marked May Day with largely peaceful protests over rising prices, low wages and calls for greater labor rights. Pro- Palestinian sentiments were also on display.

Eight people were killed Tuesday after gas cylinders leaked and triggered a fire at the Pizza Secrets restaurant in Beirut's Beshara al-Khoury area.

The Beirut Fire Brigade said the eight victims suffocated to death inside the restaurant and that two other people were injured.

Former Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat has said that the decision to boycott the latest Maarab meeting was taken by the PSP and not by him personally.

“It wasn’t me. It was the PSP that took the decision not to go to Maarab. Then what’s the point of meeting people who do not recognize us?” Jumblat added, in an interview with the L'Orient-Le Jour newspaper.

Ongoing hostilities in southern Lebanon are taking a devastating toll on the population, forcing approximately 90,000 people – including 30,000 children – from their homes. According to the latest report from the Ministry of Public Health, 8 children are among the 344 people killed and 75 children among the 1359 people injured since the escalation of the hostilities in October 2023.

The increase in armed conflict has damaged civilian infrastructure and facilities and has also impacted the essential services that children and families depend on, including significant damage to nine water stations, which serve a population of 100,000 people. More than 70 schools are currently closed, affecting around 20,000 students and significantly affecting their education. Around 23 healthcare facilities - serving 4,000 people - are closed due to the hostilities.

Lebanon has received an amended proposal Paris had previously presented for a diplomatic resolution to the border conflict, Nidaa al-Watan newspaper sad.

French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné had visited Lebanon during the weekend but Speaker Nabih Berri said that Séjourné did not submit the paper during his visit and that the paper will be delivered to Lebanese officials by Tuesday.

Hezbollah said Tuesday it has targeted overnight groups of soldiers in Dovev and Avivim in northern Israel.

The group said the attacks were in response to Israeli attacks on civilians in south Lebanon.