Qatar and Turkey are leading secret contacts aimed at finding a solution to the situation in southern Lebanon, with discussions on the future of Hezbollah's weapons expected to follow if efforts to de-escalate tensions succeed, Nidaa Al Watan newspaper reported.

According to information obtained by the newspaper, Qatar and Turkey are pursuing their efforts separately, with no unified initiative currently bringing the two countries together.

The initial focus of the contacts is on reducing tensions in southern Lebanon. If those efforts succeed, the discussions would then move toward the more contentious issue of the future of Hezbollah's weapons, the newspaper reported.

Separately, Nidaa Al Watan reported that several countries, led by France and Germany, are working on a proposal to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for six months.

The proposed extension is intended to provide additional time to assess the direction of developments in Lebanon, Iran and the wider region and to prevent a potential security vacuum, according to the report.

The proposal has not yet been finalized and remains pending the positions of the United States and Israel, Nidaa Al Watan reported.