Lebanon's judicial investigation of the Beirut port explosion started with political wrangling over the naming of a lead investigator, military threats to jail leakers and doubts over whether a panel appointed along sectarian lines could be fully impartial.

So for many Lebanese, their greatest hope for credible answers about the blast that wrecked much of their capital may lie with outsiders: the French forensic police who have joined the probe and FBI investigators are expected to take part.

A spokesman for the Palestinian president is condemning the deal to establish full diplomatic ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

Nabil Abu Rdeneh said on Thursday the agreement amounts to "treason." He says the Palestinians demand that it be retracted.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the announcement that full diplomatic ties will be established with the United Arab Emirates has ushered in a "new era" in Israel's relations with the Arab world.

In a nationally broadcast statement delivered on Thursday, Netanyahu said the "full and official peace" with the UAE would lead to cooperation in many spheres between the countries and a "wonderful future" for citizens of both countries.

Lithuania on Thursday designated Hizbullah as a terrorist organization and issued a 10-year ban on all individuals related to the Iran-backed group from entering the Baltic nation's territory.

"After receiving valuable information from our foreign partners, we can assume that Hizbullah is functioning on the principles of terrorist organization," Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said.

A senior Palestinian official has slammed the U.S.-brokered deal establishing formal ties between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in exchange for Israel dropping its plan to annex West Bank land.

Hanan Ashrawi said on Twitter that the deal announced on Thursday perpetuates Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

The FBI will join Lebanese and other international investigators in the probe of the massive explosion at Beirut's port that killed more than 170 people, injured thousands and caused widespread destruction, a visiting U.S. diplomat said Thursday.

Lebanese authorities had invited the FBI to take part, and it is one way that Washington can help the country deal with the effects of the disaster, said U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs David Hale as he toured the Gemmayzeh neighborhood, which was damaged by the Aug. 4 blast.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the United Arab Emirates and Israel have agreed to establish full diplomatic ties as part of a deal to halt the annexation of occupied land sought by the Palestinians for their future state.

The announcement makes the UAE the first Gulf Arab state to do so and only the third Arab nation to have active diplomatic ties to Israel.

Israel's Defense Ministry said Thursday it conducted a successful test of the country's advanced missile defense system against long-range ballistic attacks.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the successful flight test of the Arrow-2 interceptor was part of Israel's technological effort that "ensures that we will always be one step ahead of our enemies."

Lebanon's parliament on Thursday approved a two-week state of emergency imposed by the government after last week's deadly port explosion that gives it legal authority to suppress resurgent protests.

Greece's prime minister warmly thanked France Thursday for its pledge to boost its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, where Greek and Turkish warships are closely shadowing each other over a Turkish energy exploration bid in waters Athens claims as its own.

Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted that French President Emmanuel Macron is "a true friend of Greece and also a fervent protector of European values and international law."