President Joseph Aoun announced Monday that the Lebanese Army “has a crucial mission in these circumstances.”

“It alone -- I reiterate, it alone, without a partner, neither from outside the state nor from outside Lebanon -- has to extend our state’s authority over all its territory and borders and to impose its full sovereignty, for the Israeli attacks on our land to cease and for Israel to withdraw from the points it is occupying inside Lebanon,” Aoun added, at a joint press conference with his Bulgarian counterpart in Sofia.

Beirut returns, as it does each year, both a destination and a sanctuary -- a place where the prayer of calling meets the call of prayer, where beauty is not only sung but becomes itself a song. Voices rise in devotion, and instruments spill melodies like candles casting their glow across the eighteenth edition of the Beirut Chants Festival.

Over the years, Beirut Chants has grown into a welcoming home for distinguished choirs and musicians from around the world, while celebrating the steadfast and radiant presence of Lebanese artists.

Kataeb leader Sami Gemayel said Monday that he had submitted a proposal to introduce Lebanon's neutrality into the Lebanese constitution.

In a press conference, Gemayel said that Lebanon has an opportunity today to "turn the page", adding that neutrality does not mean not taking positions on issues of justice in the world but it means that Lebanon would not militarily participate in any regional conflicts.

Senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka described Monday President Joseph Aoun as a "friend" who will help realize U.S. President Donald Trump's vision for peace in the Middle East.

"Today this leader is a friend and is positioned to help realize President Donald Trump's vision for peace in the Middle East under a new, broader Abraham Accords," Gorka posted on X.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam met Monday with a U.S. treasury delegation in Beirut, headed by senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, as Washington works to cut off Hezbollah's funding and Lebanon's government tries to disarm it.

Deputy director for counter-terrorism John Hurley had said after the delegation met President Joseph Aoun on Sunday that Lebanon can only be free, prosperous and secure if Hezbollah is fully disarmed and cut off from Iran's funding and control.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has said his government is not just working on disarming Hezbollah but is also working on reforms, yet disarmament is needed to attract investments.

In a televised interview aired on Sunday evening, Salam said the government is also unanimously committed to the implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, ending the Israeli occupation and daily attacks, and releasing the Lebanese prisoners from Israeli jails.

One person was killed Monday in an Israeli drone strike that targeted his car on the Baysariyeh-Sarafand road in south Lebanon, putting the toll from Israeli strikes since Saturday at six.

Israeli airstrikes later targeted al-Qatrani, al-Mahmoudiyeh and al-Jarmaq in south Lebanon, a pickup truck in Hermel, and the Shaara region in the Bekaa.

Israel has warned the U.S. administration that Hezbollah is rehabilitating itself has also warned the Lebanese Army that if it does not act against Hezbollah, Israel’s attacks on Lebanon will increase, the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation has reported.

President Joseph Aoun on Friday noted that “Lebanon is committed to the cessation of hostilities agreement, while Israel is still occupying the five hills and increasing its attacks on it.”

Aoun voiced his remarks in a meeting in Baabda with a delegation from the World Bank.

The United States will continue using every tool at its disposal to ensure Hezbollah no longer poses a threat to the Lebanese people or the broader region, the U.S. department of state said in a statement, after it imposed sanctions on three Hezbollah members accused of involvement in financial transactions for Hezbollah.

"The United States is committed to supporting Lebanon by exposing and disrupting Iran’s covert financing of Hizballah. By enabling Hizballah, Iran holds Lebanon back and undermines its sovereignty. Iran and Hizballah cannot be allowed to keep Lebanon captive any longer," the statement said.