French President Emmanuel Macron called on Israel on Friday to accelerate its troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon, as a deadline nears for the pullout under the terms of a ceasefire that ended the war with Hezbollah last year.

Macron also spoke to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ahead of the visit. Paris has sought to get Riyadh to re-engage in Lebanon for months and the arrival of Joseph Aoun to the presidency and Nawaf Salam as prime minister has helped that process.

French President Emmanuel Macron will pay his first visit to Lebanon since 2020. In this country, he will help speed up the formation of a government that could launch a series of reforms, Reuters reports.

Then, a Saudi delegation headed by the kingdom’s envoy, Prince Yazid bin Farhan, flew into Beirut for the second time in a week. It held a blitz of meetings with various political parties. By the time they left, there was only one candidate left: the US-backed Aoun.

Emmanuel Macron will visit Lebanon to help form a new government and implement reforms post-2020 political deadlock. Renewed international engagement, including support from France, aims to boost Lebanon's sovereignty and economy.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun began consultations with lawmakers on Monday to designate a prime minister in what political sources saw as a tight race between incumbent Najib Mikati and International Court of Justice President Nawaf Salam.

Lebanon’s parliament has elected its US-backed army chief to be the country’s next president, ending a years-long political stalemate and presidential vacuum.

The planned reopening of the hotel, which was damaged in the 2020 port explosion, follows Saudi-backed Gen. Joseph Aoun's becoming president of Lebanon.

The parliament elected army chief Joseph Aoun head of state, filling the vacant presidency with a general who has U.S. support and showing the weakened sway of the Iran-backed Hezbollah group after its devastating war with Israel.

As Hezbollah’s influence wanes and Gulf nations extend support, Lebanon faces a rare opportunity to stabilize and reclaim its position.

Saudi Arabia’s Prince Faisal bin Farhan has met with US Envoy to Lebanon Amos Hochstein where the two discussed current regional issues, including developments in Lebanon. The

BEIRUT (Reuters) -French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Lebanon on Friday to help speed up the formation of a government that can quickly implement reforms and open the door to reconstruction following last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah.