Hezbollah political bureau member Mahmoud Qmati called Friday for unity in Lebanon amid ongoing domestic and international pressure for Hezbollah to disarm after a bruising war with Israel.

"We are ready for dialogue about a defense strategy," Qmati said, adding that only national unity could help Lebanon and warning that divisions among the Lebanese people would only serve Israel.

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack has reminded that during his latest visit to Beirut, he stated that Hezbollah is “an issue that must be resolved by the Lebanese themselves,” reaffirming a “long-standing position of the United States -- that Hezbollah represents a challenge which only the Lebanese government can address.”

An Israeli drone strike on Friday targeted a Renault Rapid vehicle in the southern town of Baraashit, killing one person and wounding another, the Health Ministry said.

The Israeli army identified the slain man as Ali Mohammad Hassan Qassan, claiming that he was "the head of Hezbollah's manpower for the Bint Jbeil sector."

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held talks Thursday in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron after which he thanked France for "its continued support for Lebanon and its security, sovereignty and prosperity."

"I return to Beirut reassured by French President Emmanuel Macron's commitment to assisting Lebanon, renewing UNIFIL's mandate, and strengthening our bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of security, economy, education and culture," Salam added, in a post on the X platform.

One of France's longest-held inmates, the pro-Palestinian Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, arrived in Beirut on Friday, having been released from prison after more than 40 years behind bars for the alleged killings of two diplomats.

A wave of Israeli airstrikes targeted the Iqlim al-Tuffah heights and the area between Ansar and al-Zrariyeh in south Lebanon on Thursday evening, with the Israeli army claiming that the strikes hit "Hezbollah military sites, including arms depots and a rocket launchpad."

The violent strikes, which have become frequent in recent months, came a day after U.S. envoy Tom Barrack departed Lebanon after a three-day visit in which he discussed the thorny issue of Hezbollah's disarmament amid Israel's continued occupation of five hills in south Lebanon and its daily assassinations against suspected Hezbollah operatives.

President Joseph Aoun said Thursday that Lebanon is “at a pivotal crossroads, which might be fateful,” adding that “our unity, cooperation and solidarity are essential in order for us to confront all challenges.”

Israeli troops made an 800-meter incursion into Houla at dawn Thursday and blew up a livestock room facing the al-Abbad Israeli military post, the National News Agency said.

The European Union on Wednesday announced a new €12.5 million project to support the Lebanese Army in "leading recovery efforts, enhancing security and helping communities in Southern Lebanon rebuild."

The project will be implemented by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

Speaker Nabih Berri has stressed his optimism in the wake of his meeting with visiting U.S. envoy Tom Barrack.