Following a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron in Beirut, Lebanon's caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati highlighted discussions on the country's current challenges and the need for comprehensive international support.

“President Macron promised to keep support for the new government,” Mikati said after meeting the French leader at the airport. He added that Macron will meet early Friday with the U.S. and French officers on the ceasefire monitoring committee and will later meet Lebanese officials.

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.