By Maya Gebeily and Laila Bassam

BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanon's cabinet will meet on Tuesday to discuss Hezbollah's arsenal, after Washington ramped up pressure on ministers to publicly commit to disarming the Iran-backed group and amid fears Israel could intensify strikes if they fail to do so.

The session scheduled for 3:00 p.m. (1200 GMT) at Lebanon's presidential palace is the first time that cabinet will discuss the fate of Hezbollah's weapons - unimaginable when the group was at the zenith of its power just two years ago.

By Maayan Lubell and Nidal al-Mughrabi

JERUSALEM/CAIRO (Reuters) -Israel's cabinet could authorise on Tuesday a complete military takeover of Gaza for the first time in two decades, media reported, despite international pressure for a ceasefire to ease appalling conditions in the besieged Palestinian territory.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leaning towards an expanded offensive and taking control of the entire enclave after 22 months of war against militant group Hamas, Israeli Channel 12 reported.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel must "complete" the defeat of Hamas in Gaza to secure the release of the remaining hostages, days ahead of a cabinet meeting to discuss an updated war plan.

Recent footage of weak and emaciated captives has sparked outrage in Israel, while UN experts also warn of an unfolding famine for Palestinians in Gaza.

Oil giant Saudi Aramco announced its 10th straight drop in quarterly profits on Tuesday as a slump in prices hit revenues, putting more pressure on the key driver of the Saudi economy.

Second-quarter profits slid 22 percent year-on-year to 85 billion riyals ($22.67 billion), extending a decline that stretches back to late 2022.

"The decrease in revenue was mainly due to lower crude oil prices and lower refined and chemical products prices," Aramco said in its quarterly report.

By Lefteris Papadimas

ATHENS (Reuters) -It took just minutes for a new Greek-made anti-drone system to show what it is capable of.

On its first test run with a European Union patrol in the Red Sea a year ago, the Centauros system detected and swiftly brought down two aerial drones launched by Yemen's Houthis, who have been attacking merchant vessels in the busy shipping lane.

(Reuters) -Israel will allow gradual and controlled entry of goods to Gaza through local merchants, COGAT, the Israeli military agency that coordinates aid, said on Tuesday.

"This aims to increase the volume of aid entering the Gaza Strip, while reducing reliance on aid collection by the U.N. and international organisations," the agency said.

Saudi Aramco's profit slid 22 percent in the second quarter to 85 billion riyals ($22.67 billion) as a slump in prices hit revenues, the oil giant said on Tuesday.

Aramco, the world's biggest oil exporter and driver of the Saudi economy, has now seen profits decline for 10 straight quarters since record results in late 2022.

"The decrease in revenue was mainly due to lower crude oil prices and lower refined and chemical products prices," Aramco said in its quarterly report.

As it grinds on well into its twenty-second month, Israel's war in Gaza has set friends and families against one another and sharpened existing political and cultural divides.

Hostage families and peace activists want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to secure a ceasefire with Hamas and free the remaining captives abducted during the October 2023 Hamas attacks.

Right-wing members of Netanyahu's cabinet, meanwhile, want to seize the moment to occupy and annex more Palestinian land, at the risk of sparking further international criticism.

By Kanishka Singh

(Reuters) -Canada said on Monday it delivered humanitarian assistance through airdrops to Gaza, which has been under a devastating Israeli military assault for almost 22 months, with Ottawa again accusing Israel of violating international law.

"The (Canadian Armed Forces) employed a CC-130J Hercules aircraft to conduct an airdrop of critical humanitarian aid in support of Global Affairs Canada into the Gaza Strip. The air drop consisted of 21,600 pounds of aid," the Canadian government said in a statement.

A British couple detained in Iran for seven months on espionage charges have been moved to separate prisons in and near Tehran, heightening fears for their welfare, their son told AFP on Monday.

Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 52 and who previously split their time between southeast England and Spain, were seized in Kerman, in central Iran, in early January while on a round-the-world motorbike trip.