The workers of the centers for filling gas canisters in Beirut's southern suburbs, which were ordered to shut down, blocked on Tuesday the Ouzai highway with burning tires.

The Traffic Management Center said security forces diverted traffic towards the Airport road for a few minutes before the highway was reopened.

President Michel Suleiman traveled on Tuesday to the French capital Paris at the head of a delegation to attend the meeting of the French-sponsored International Support Group for Lebanon Wednesday.

“Lebanon prepared a comprehensive file based on an assessment by the World Bank,” Minister of Social Affairs Rashid Derbas said in comments published on Tuesday in al-Joumhouria newspaper.

An alleged plan by Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun to visit Saudi Arabia left the Lebanese media guessing whether such a trip will take place anytime soon.

Rabieh has not yet confirmed or denied that Aoun could make such a visit for talks with top Saudi officials.

The committee drafting the ministerial policy statement on Monday failed again to reach an agreement over the controversial clause related to resistance against Israel, adjourning its discussions to Friday.

In light of the continued deadlock, President Michel Suleiman will have to attend the meeting of the International Support Group for Lebanon in Paris on Wednesday while representing a government that does not have a policy statement, something he was trying to avoid.

Syrian warplanes on Monday fired 18 missiles on the outskirts of the Bekaa border town of Arsal and nearby areas.

“Syrian fighter jets fired 18 missiles on the Wadi al-Kheil area in Arsal's outskirts and the road between Flita (in Syria) and Arsal,” Lebanon's National News Agency reported.

Four people were wounded as at least eight rockets fired from the Syrian side of the border struck several areas in the Bekaa on Monday, in an attack that was claimed by the Qaida-inspired group al-Nusra Front in Lebanon.

“Two rockets fell between the towns of Talya and Brital near the public road and one of them hit near a residential area in Brital's al-Habib valley,” NNA said.

The Phalange Party on Monday announced that it will not provide a political cover for Hizbullah's military intervention in Syria or for its weapons even if that threatened the collapse of Prime Minister Tammam Salam's cabinet that was formed after an 11-month deadlock.

“This resistance has lost its legitimacy and half the Lebanese have major questions over it and therefore there is no consensus over the resistance. Nothing can be imposed on half the Lebanese in the cabinet,” MP Sami Gemayel, the party's central committee coordinator, said at a press conference.

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stressed Monday that it is “unavoidable” to reconcile between the Baabda Declaration and the right to resist Israel in the ministerial policy statement, urging an end to futile debates in this regard.

“Lebanon does not need more hot and cold wars and it is unavoidable to reconcile between the various proposals over the Baabda Declaration – which, to remind, was endorsed unanimously – and Lebanon's right to protect its border and resist any possible Israeli aggression,” Jumblat said in his weekly editorial in al-Anbaa online newspaper.

Lebanese Forces MP Strida Geagea said Monday that she received threats on her mobile, calling on security agencies to pursue the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

Geagea “received a series of phone calls issuing different threats against her on Sunday and today (Monday),” her press office said in a statement.

The Lebanese army released on Monday the photo of a "dangerous" fugitive, calling on whoever acknowledges him to report to the military institution.

“Whoever recognizes the suspect should contact the army operations room on 1701, report to the nearest military base or use the LAF shield mobile application,” the army said in its communique.