After the Central Bank issued a memo asking Lebanese banks to pay monthly fresh dollar sums to depositors, questions arose on whether the banks will abide by the decision, especially after they reportedly said in a leaked letter that they lack the ability to do so.

The Banque du Liban (BDL) -- Lebanon’s central bank -- on Friday issued a memo to Lebanese banks to monthly pay every depositor $400 in “fresh” cash as well as the equivalent of $400 in Lebanese lira at the Sayrafa platform rate.

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Stefano Del Col on Thursday chaired a special Tripartite meeting – held in a modified format due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions – with senior officers from the Lebanese Army the Israeli army at a U.N. position in Ras al-Naqoura.

Joanna Wronecka, the newly-appointed U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, on Thursday held her first round of meetings with Lebanese officials.

She met with President Michel Aoun, Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, caretaker Prime Minister Hassan Diab and acting caretaker Foreign Minister Zeina Akar.

President Michel Aoun has said that he has “offered all the necessary facilitations for the formation of the government” while lamenting that PM-designate Saad Hariri “has not respected the principle of national partnership.”

“Concessions are required today from everyone and what we need is a moment of conscience,” Aoun added, in an interview with General Security’s magazine published Thursday.

Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh on Thursday announced the reversal of a controversial decision taken by the bank following a meeting with President Michel Aoun and State Shura Council head Judge Fadi Elias.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon Trial Chamber II has issued an order canceling the commencement of trial in the Hamadeh-Hawi-Murr case on June 16, 2021 due to “lack of funds,” the STL said on Thursday.

President Michel Aoun was on Thursday meeting with Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh and State Shura Council head Judge Fadi Elias after the Central Bank froze a circular allowing depositors to make use of their USD accounts at the LBP 3,900 rate.

Al-Jadeed TV reported that Aoun had made contacts overnight that led to the reversal of the bank’s decision and that the outcome would be announced after Thursday’s meeting in Baabda.

The Presidency on Wednesday lashed out at al-Mustaqbal Movement over its latest statement, saying it contained “fallacies” and “rude expressions.”

“In concurrence with the ongoing contacts to form the new government, al-Mustaqbal Movement is continuing its campaigns against the Presidency and against the person of President Michel Aoun, using expressions and labels that highlight the low level that the rhetoric of this Movement’s officials has reached,” the Presidency said in a statement.

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) on Wednesday said that it “regrets to announce that it is facing an unprecedented financial crisis,” warning that without “immediate funding,” it will not be able to operate beyond July 2021.

This will “impact its ability to fulfill its current mandate and conclude the judicial proceedings in the two cases currently before the Tribunal, the Ayyash et al. case (STL-11-01) and the Ayyash case (STL-18-10),” the court added in a statement, referring to the case of the Rafik Hariri murder and the case of the attacks on Elias Murr, Marwan Hamadeh and Georges Hawi.