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.

Saudi Arabia's top diplomat landed in Beirut on Thursday to meet the country's new leadership in the first visit by a high-ranking official from the kingdom after more than a decade of strained ties.

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.

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.

BEIRUT - French President Emmanuel Macron ... The group was dealt another blow when its Syrian ally President Bashar al-Assad was ousted last month, cutting its overland supply route to Iran.

BEIRUT - Washington is pressuring top Lebanese officials not to allow Hezbollah or its allies to nominate the country's next finance minister, five people with knowledge of the matter said, in an attempt to limit the Iran-backed group's sway over the state.

The unusually direct U.S. intervention in Lebanon's sectarian politics appears aimed at capitalizing on shifts in the power balance in Lebanon and the wider Middle East, with Iran-backed Hezbollah badly pummelled from last year's war with Israel and its Syrian ally Bashar al-Assad ousted from power.

Palestinian militant group Hamas released on Friday the names of three Israeli hostages that will be released on Saturday. The hostages are Ofer Calderon, Keith Siegel and Yarden Bibas, Hamas armed wing spokesperson Abu Obeida said in a post on his telegram channel.

Washington is pressuring top Lebanese officials not to allow Hezbollah or its allies to nominate the country's next finance minister, five people with knowledge of the matter said, in an attempt to limit the Iran-backed group's sway over the state.

DNI nominee Tulsi Gabbard provided additional details on her meeting with then-Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2017, while appearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

President Ahmed al-Shara vowed to be inclusive, but the way crucial decisions have been made has left some Syrians wary.