Israeli fire wounded five people in south Lebanon on Sunday, Lebanese media and security sources said, as residents sought to return to homes in the border area where Israeli forces remained on the ground after a deadline for their withdrawal passed.

DUBAI (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia will continue supporting Lebanon and is optimistic about the country's future after a ceasefire brought an end to a war between Israel and the militant Iran-aligned Hezbollah group, the kingdom's foreign minister said from Beirut.

Emirates will also resume services to Baghdad, Iraq, on February 1, serving both cities with its triple-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

The escalation of Hezbollah-Israel war in late 2024, which led to widespread destruction and large displacement, has left 30% of Lebanon's population facing acute food insecurity,

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said Thursday that the oil-rich kingdom stands by Lebanon, but stressed that the war-ravaged, crisis-ridden country needs to adopt necessary reforms.

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister visits Lebanon on Thursday in the first trip to Beirut by Riyadh's top diplomat in 15 years, seeking a commitment to reform as the Gulf state reasserts sway in a country where Iranian influence is waning.

upon his arrival at Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) French President Emmanuel Macron, right, speaks with journalists after his meeting with Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister ...

Israeli officials have said Lebanese troops are not deploying fast enough in the areas Israeli troops are supposed to vacate.

Saudi Arabia’s top diplomat has visited Lebanon for the first time in a decade following years of strained relations between the oil-rich kingdom and the tiny Mediterranean country.

After over a three-year closure, the UAE Embassy in Beirut is officially back in operation, the Emirati Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) announced on Friday. Read More: Emirates to Resume Flights to Baghdad and Beirut in February This milestone comes as diplomatic relations between the UAE and Lebanon see a significant improvement.

On Sunday, the 60-day window to implement the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel will close. As part of the deal, Israeli troops must withdraw from Lebanon and Hezbollah must disarm in a border zone.