As part of efforts to protect Lebanon’s subsidized diesel oil from being smuggled into neighboring Syria, the Lebanese army discovered and dismantled 30 meters of pipelines used to smuggle the liquid fuel into Syria, the Army Command said in a statement.

U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Schenker said the Lebanese government faces immense challenges as the result of years of corruption and the implications of the war in Syria, noting that sanctions could be imposed on Lebanese parties allied to Hizbullah and supporting the government of PM Hassan Diab.

Former premiers Saad Hariri, Najib Miqati, Fouad Saniora and Tammam Salam on Wednesday deplored what they called “the remarks against the Taef Accord,” in an apparent response to the recent statement of Shiite mufti Sheikh Ahmed Qabalan, the son of Higher Islamic Shiite Council chief Sheikh Abdul Amir Qabalan.

“The National Pact and the Document of National Accord are an honest, rational and enlightened reflection of the deep-rooted relation between Christians and Muslims, which is based on the nobleness of the unifying idea of coexistence,” the ex-PMs said in statement.

Banque du Liban, Lebanon's central bank, on Wednesday issued two memos subsidizing the dollar exchange rate for the importers and manufacturers of essential foodstuffs as well as industrialists.

Lebanese negotiators held their seventh virtual meeting Wednesday with representatives of the International Monetary Fund, the Finance Ministry said.

The United Kingdom is “working together with countries across the Middle East to tackle coronavirus and protect the most vulnerable,” UK Minister for the Middle East James Cleverly has said, as Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Fitr.

Lebanon on Wednesday recorded 21 new coronavirus cases, which raises the country's total to 1,161, the Health Ministry said.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to close down social media platforms after Twitter labelled two of his tweets "unsubstantiated" and accused him of making false claims.

"Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down, before we can ever allow this to happen," Trump tweeted.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab, Defense Minister Zeina Akar and Army Chief Joseph Aoun visited the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura on Wednesday after reported disputes between the peacekeeping forces and residents in South Lebanon.

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc rejected the recent calls for federalism and the attempts to "overthrow" the Taef Accord.