Lebanon's reforms are insufficient to help lift the country out of its economic crisis, the International Monetary Fund said Thursday.

Head of the IMF mission visiting Lebanon Ernesto Ramirez Rigo, said in a statement that Lebanon's ongoing refugee crisis, clashes with Israel at its southern border and the spillover from the war in Gaza are exacerbating an already weak economic situation.

Lebanese school children on a minibus had a narrow escape Thursday when a drone strike killed a Hezbollah fighter in the car ahead, blowing out the windscreen of their vehicle and wounding three pupils.

The injured children were hospitalised with cuts from flying glass after the aerial attack, which state media and a source close to the Iran-backed militant group blamed on Israel.

In Beirut's impoverished Palestinian refugee camp of Shatila -- a maze of alleyways where posters honor fallen martyrs -- residents expressed joy Wednesday after three European countries said they would recognize a Palestinian state.

"We hope that the whole world will recognize Palestine, and we are happy with this decision... It is a beautiful feeling," said Alaa Ghozlan, 26, whose family is originally from Haifa, now in northern Israel.

The interrogation of detainees in the so-called TikTokers case has led to the arrest of a 16-year-old boy who had been molested before he took part in blackmailing other minors, MTV reported.

“The arrest took place Monday evening and he is being questioned by the anti-cybercrime bureau of the Internal Security Forces,” the TV network added.

The Lebanese Army has seized a second truck carrying pistols smuggled from Turkey into the country.

“The Intelligence Directorate has seized at the Port of Tripoli a truck carrying 400 smuggled pistols that were concealed in it while also arresting its driver,” the army said in a statement.

There are currently French attempts to arrange an urgent visit to Lebanon by the French President's Special Envoy to Lebanon, Jean-Yves Le Drian, in a bid to “stir the stagnant waters and give impetus to the mission of the five-nation committee which has started to falter,” prominent political sources said.

The sources added, in remarks to al-Joumhouria newspaper, that “the efforts of the quintet’s ambassadors have been currently suspended.”

Israeli warplanes and drones raided Wednesday the southern border towns of Mays al-Jabal and Aita al-Shaab while artillery shelled Markaba and the outskirts of Tayrharfa and Alma al-Shaab.

"Israeli warplanes carried out an airstrike near Aita al-Shaab's school, less than an hour after a drone targeted the same area in the town," the National News agency said.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday traveled to Tehran at the head of a delegation to offer condolences over the death of Iran’s president Ebrahim Raisi, foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and others in a helicopter crash.

Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei presided over the funeral of the late officials on Wednesday, as tens of thousands followed a procession of their caskets through the capital, Tehran.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Tuesday called for declaring the anniversary of the Syrian army withdrawal from Lebanon as a “national holiday.”

Geagea’s suggestion comes four days before Lebanon celebrates the Resistance and Liberation Day, which marks the withdrawal of the Israeli army from south Lebanon in May 2000.

Based on a request from caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib, the U.N. Refugee Agency said it has withdrawn a memo it had sent to the Interior Ministry on Friday.

“UNHCR wishes to clarify that the letter addressed to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities last week, including a proposal to meet, was sent as per standard practice in line with UNHCR’s mandated responsibilities when there are issues related to vulnerable communities in Lebanon, including refugees,” UNHCR said in a statement.