Ministers Elias Bou Saab and Jebran Bassil of the Free Patriotic Movement are inclined to boycott Thursday's cabinet session in protest at term extensions for military and security chiefs, in a move that is meant to be a “warning” to the government, a media report said on Monday.

An explosive device was discovered Sunday outside the house of Bassel al-Hujeiri, the municipal chief of the restive northeastern border town of Arsal, state-run National News Agency reported.

Hizbullah MP Hassan Fadlallah on Sunday called on the political parties to deal “positively” with the latest proposal that was launched by Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

An Iraqi young man was kidnapped Sunday in the eastern city of Baalbek, state-run National News Agency reported.

Hizbullah on Sunday bombed gatherings of jihadists in the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, Hizbullah's al-Manar TV said.

The thorny issue of military appointments is expected to dominate the political scene next week, amid anticipation of the Free Patriotic Movement's response to Defense Minister Samir Moqbel's latest decision to extend the term of Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir.

Resigned Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi has voiced rejection of any political settlement that takes the form of a so-called “package deal” or seeks to alter the 1989 Taef Accord.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has responded to assassination threats that media reports attributed to the Islamic State group by stressing that he “depends on God and fate.”

Defense Minister Samir Moqbel issued a decision on Saturday postponing the retirement of Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed Kheir until 21 August, 2017.

The decision came after a cabinet meeting held on Thursday failed to reach an agreement over the thorny issue of military appointments that included a decision on whether to extend the term of Kheir which ends August 28, or postpone it.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi called on the international community to help stop the war in the Middle East pointing out that Lebanon can longer tolerate the burden of the exodus of Syrian refugees as a result.

“We urge the international community to speed up the solutions and impose a halt to the wars, fueled by foreign countries, raging in the Middle East,” said al-Rahi from Seoul where he takes part in a peace conference.