U.S. Major General Jasper Jeffers, the Chairman of the Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism, was joined by French Brigadier General Guillaume Ponchin on a visit to the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) 5th Brigade headquarters in southwest Lebanon on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Embassy said.

The opposition and change MPs will have a “unified plan” in the January 9 presidential election session, MP George Okais announced after a meeting for the opposition and change MPs on Tuesday.

Paris is counting on U.S.-Saudi efforts to convince Speaker Nabih Berri to endorse Joseph Aoun’s presidential nomination, especially after U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan in Riyadh, An-Nahar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has told Lebanon that the United States has not received any message from Israel about an intention to keep Israeli forces in south Lebanon beyond January 27, informed sources said.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Tuesday described the Hezbollah-led “defiance camp” as a “liar” camp, but noted that the LF is however willing to “carefully consider” the nomination of Army chief Joseph Aoun if the defiance camp officially endorses him for the presidency.

Druze leader Walid Jumblat has said that Army Commander General Joseph Aoun is still his bloc’s presidential candidate, adding that his nomination has received “positive feedback from the five-nation group for Lebanon.”

U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein has urged Lebanon's politicians, after a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, to come together ahead of a vote for a new president following two years of deadlock.

"These are critical times for Lebanon... not just to implement this agreement, but to come to political consensus, to focus on Lebanon for Lebanese people," he said ahead of the vote on Thursday.

The five-party Cessation of Hostilities Implementation Mechanism, which is tasked with monitoring the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, convened at a UNIFIL position in Ras Naqoura Monday for the third Pentalateral Meeting, a joint statement from the U.S. and French embassies in Lebanon and UNIFIL said.

Visiting U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein said Israeli forces began withdrawing on Monday from a south Lebanon border town more than halfway into a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein arrived Monday in Beirut, amid a fragile Lebanon-Israel truce, which took effect on November 27.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz had warned on Sunday that "there will be no agreement" if Hezbollah did not withdraw "beyond the Litani river", while Hezbollah new leader Sheikh Naim Qassem warned the group's patience with Israeli violations could run out before the end of the ceasefire's 60-day implementation timeframe.