Top Lebanese politicians and the Hizbulah group rallied on Friday against charges of negligence leveled against the caretaker prime minister and three former ministers over the massive explosion in Beirut's port, underscoring the enormous difficulties facing the investigation.

Hizbullah called on investigating judge Fadi Sawwan to reconsider the charges, calling them "political targeting" and saying they lacked legal and constitutional basis.

The gridlock preventing the formation of a government in Lebanon shows no signs of easing well into the second month after the designation of PM Saad Hariri for the task, reports said Tuesday.

Bringing the government formation talks back to square one reportedly "serve" Hizbullah and its backer, Iran, which prefers to push the consultations until after US President-elect Joe Biden assumes his constitutional duties, succeeding President Donald Trump, the Saudi Asharq el-Awsat reported on Thursday.

Al-Mustaqbal Parliamentary bloc MP Samir el-Jisr assured that PM-designate Saad Hariri is still working “under the guidance” of the French initiative, and will not step back from his mission to form a government despite a stalemate, Nidaa al-Watan newspaper reported on Saturday.

“Hariri is working on easing all the obstacles facing the formation process, which currently seem linked to naming the ministers,” for ministerial portfolios, said Jisr.

Progressive Socialist Party leader ex-MP Walid Jumblat on Tuesday said the ongoing debate to pick a PM before the binding parliamentary consultations was “unconstitutional.”

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Tuesday for Lebanese political leaders to "urgently" form a new government following the resignation of the Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

President Michel Aoun received on Thursday the former French President Francois Hollande who plans to make a series of meetings with Lebanese officials to discuss the economic aid for Lebanon agreed at the CEDRE support conference last year.

Hollande had arrived Wednesday in Beirut and met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri who threw a banquet in his honor.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Sunday with a number of world leaders after arriving in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh to take part in the first Arab-European Summit.

Hariri is accompanied by the ministers Jebran Bassil, Ali Hassan Khalil and Wael Abu Faour and ex-minister Ghattas Khoury.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri and ex-PM and influential Tripoli MP Najib Miqati are likely to strike an alliance in order to secure the win of Dima Jamali in the northern city's parliamentary by-election after her seat was revoked by the Constitutional Council.

As per the new electoral law, the vote will be held under the winner-takes-all system and not proportional representation since competition is only over one seat. Also according to the new system, the polls will also held in Tripoli alone and not in the bigger Tripoli-Dinniyeh-Minieh district as happened in the 2018 elections.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Progressive Socialist Party chief ex-MP Walid Jumblat held talks Thursday evening at the Center House, after the latest war of words between them was contained.

“We will discuss topics that we disagree on and others that we agree on,” said Jumblat upon his arrival at the Center House.