Beirut

"We all know that at this time Israel still does not accept that solution, but we see it as the only solution," Leo, the first US pope, told journalists on a flight from Turkey to Lebanon.

Pope Leo XIV begins a three-day visit to Lebanon, meeting leaders, touring five cities, and honoring victims of the 2020 Beirut port explosion.

Maronite Patriarch Bechara Boutros al-Rahi urged Hezbollah to break from Iran and give its weapons to the Lebanese Army, calling diplomacy the only path to avoid another war.

The GBU-39 is a glide bomb manufactured by Boeing. Once launched, it deploys wings and can glide up to 110 km, despite lacking its own engine.

The UN human rights office said that at least 127 civilians had been killed in Lebanon in strikes by the Israeli military since the ceasefire's implementation.

Some Lebanese question disarmament, but Israel views Hezbollah's weapons as a direct security threat.

Another layer of complexity comes from the split within Lebanon’s leadership over how to respond.

"At the very moment when the country needs protection and stability, Hezbollah continues to drag Lebanon to the brink of confrontation," said Lebanese MP Fouad Makhzoumi.

Following Tabatabai's assassination, it seems that Hezbollah will choose to enter into several limited "days of fighting," the author argues.

Zamir further affirmed the IDF's readiness and ability to strike across "all arenas," noting the military's Sunday strike, which killed Hezbollah military commander Ali Tabatabai.

Israel had already eliminated most of Iran-backed Hezbollah's leadership during a war that raged between October 2023 and November 2024.