The official in charge of the security committee at the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp in southern Beirut was found killed at dawn, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday.

Unknown assailants opened fire on Ahmed Hazini killing him instantly, NNA added.

Lebanon’s rival leaders gave their consent on Wednesday to have consensus at the cabinet session after an alleged deal on the appointment of top military officers.

The appointment of three officers at the Military Council has been one of the demands of the Free Patriotic Movement, which along with Hizbullah and the Tashnag Party have boycotted cabinet sessions.

Al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front militants launched a surprise attack against the Islamic State extremist group along the Lebanese-Syrian border on Wednesday as a result of the siege laid by the Lebanese army and Hizbullah against the fighters, informed sources told al-Akhbar daily on Thursday.

The newspaper said that the clashes, which have left scores dead and injured, were the bloodiest between the rival extremists.

Hizbullah is mediating between Hamas and Iran to improve their ties after the Islamic Republic failed to convince the Palestinian militant group to back it in its conflict with Saudi Arabia in return for the resumption of full financial assistance, sources told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat published on Thursday.

The sources said that Hizbullah deputy leader Sheikh Naim Qassem has sent an invitation to Hamas Politburo chief Moussa Abou Marzouq to visit Lebanon for the purpose of meeting top Iranian officials, including members of the Revolutionary Guards, who come on routine trips to Beirut to coordinate with the party on the operations in Syria.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil hinted Wednesday that the Change and Reform bloc and Hizbullah will not take part in any parliamentary session involving a competition over the presidential post between bloc chief MP Michel Aoun and Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh.

Bassil's statement came only hours after Franjieh boasted that his presidential bid enjoys the support of 70 out of 127 MPs and noted that only “forty” lawmakers would vote for Aoun.

Former Kataeb Party chief and ex-Lebanese president Amin Gemayel on Wednesday slammed Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea's decision to nominate Change and Reform bloc chief MP Michel Aoun for the presidency as a mere “reaction” that might have “destroyed March 14 as an institution.”

“The Maarab meeting was a reaction to (al-Mustaqbal movement leader ex-PM Saad) Hariri's nomination of (Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman) Franjieh, who is Geagea's neighbor in Bsharri, and we hope it wasn't a mere reaction,” said Gemayel in an interview with Al-Jazeera television.

A woman was critically wounded on Wednesday after gunmen broke into the house she lives in with her husband in the restive northeastern border town of Arsal, state-run National News Agency reported.

“Three armed men stormed Khaled Hussein Ezzeddine's house in the al-Hosn area of the town of Arsal and opened fire,” NNA said.

A Syrian refugee encampment was totally gutted by fire Wednesday in the northern Akkar region, state-run National News Agency reported.

“Five Syrian refugee tents went up in flames in the town of Tal Hmayra in the Akkar Plain after a heater's gas cylinder exploded,” NNA said.

A national dialogue session was held at Speaker Nabih Berri's Ain el-Tineh residence on Wednesday to address the latest developments in the country.

Marada Movement leader MP Suleiman Franjieh revealed after the talks that the gatherers did not address the presidential deadlock.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat expressed on Wednesday “admiration with the democracy in Iran,” citing the recent exclusion of the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, from contesting elections next month.

The MP said via Twitter: “Given its 'democratic' record, perhaps Iran does not want the election of any MPs Henri Helou, Suleiman Franjieh, or Michel Aoun as president.”