Israel continued its violations and military escalation in southern Lebanon, with warplanes launching a series of raids on Jabal al-Rafii in the Iqlim al-Tuffah highlands, artillery shelling the areas of Mansouri, Majdel Zoun and Wadi Hassan, and carrying out violent explosions in the towns of Braachit and Haddatha, amid low-flying warplanes and drones over Jabal al-Rihan, Iqlim al-Tuffah and the southern suburbs. Reports spoke of two Israeli Merkava tanks advancing from Tel al-Nahas toward the earth berm at the outskirts of Borj El Mlouk in Marjeyoun district, while the municipality of Deir Mimas called on residents not to go to fields and olive groves until the 28th of this month after an Israeli force advanced to the southern outskirts of the town and positioned itself toward the olive groves. Artillery shelling also targeted the outskirts of Yatar and Shaqra, amid Israel's continued occupation of wide areas in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah's refusal to disarm.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam continued his diplomatic efforts on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York, where he discussed with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah bilateral relations and ways to strengthen them and the course of action within the 'tripartite framework.' He welcomed the agreement to begin work to activate the Saudi-Lebanese joint committee after the ban on Lebanese exports to Saudi Arabia was lifted, stressing the need for the 'tripartite framework' path to be accompanied by a timetable. He also discussed with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian the possibility of correcting bilateral relations and called on him to appoint a new ambassador in Lebanon after the government rejected the name of Ambassador Shibani. In his speech before the United Nations, Salam combined three issues: building trust in the state, restoring the decision of war and peace, and liberating occupied land, linking the extension of Lebanese authority to Israel's withdrawal from all Lebanese territory according to the principle of reciprocity and phasing, with a timetable and a verification mechanism, and stressing that land is not recovered if its residents do not return to it.
Domestically, MP Jamil al-Sayyed launched a sharp attack on Salam's speech before the United Nations for the absence of any complaint or condemnation of Israeli violations, considering that Lebanon went to New York 'to beg and cry.' Former President Michel Suleiman warned of an increasing path of tension and decline in Lebanese-Iranian relations, stressing that Lebanon wants relations between equals with Tehran away from any external interference. MP Hadi Abu al-Hassan affirmed that the Democratic Gathering's position on the framework agreement has not changed, warning against focusing on field details and 'experimental zones' at the expense of major headings. In a political reading, an article considered that Lebanon has entered a long waiting phase in which major files have been frozen, linked to the Israeli elections on October 27, 2026, and the US midterm elections on November 3, 2026. In the governmental context, press information conveyed by visitors to President Joseph Aoun indicated that a ministerial reshuffle is not near in the foreseeable future.
Economically and socially, a ruling issued by the Lebanese judiciary revealed the disappearance of $1.7 million from Middle East Airlines after two years since the embezzlement operations began. At a seminar organized by the Institute of Social Justice and Conflict Resolution at the Lebanese American University (LAU) in partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS), Economy Minister Amer Bisat indicated that the Lebanese economy is currently operating at a size of $33 billion while its potential capacity reaches $100 billion, stressing the need for structural reforms and complete state sovereignty. Articles addressed the state's response to displacement waves, lack of coordination and excessive reliance on schools, deteriorating living conditions and the absence of effective labor representation, in addition to the transformation of international Paris conferences to support Lebanon since 2001 from managing financial crises to linking funding to the implementation of reforms, with a large part of pledges remaining undisbursed. Protesters cut off the road at Al-Tell Square in Tripoli in protest against living conditions and rising fuel prices, and two members of the Internal Security Forces were wounded by Kalashnikov gunfire at a patrol in Ouzai; the Information Branch arrested the shooter, a Palestinian born in 1994, on September 10, 2026. President Joseph Aoun congratulated State Security on its 41st anniversary, affirming that it has regained its position as a 'safety valve' in fighting corruption. Lebanon is experiencing relatively stable autumn weather today, Saturday, September 26, 2026, with dense fog on the mountains, before an expected change from Monday that will bring back scattered rain, lightning, thunder and active winds with a noticeable drop in temperatures in the interior and mountains.