The controversial new pay hike for public employees reached an impasse on Friday despite staunch consultations among parliamentary blocs to reach a breakthrough and end the lingering crisis.

Local newspapers reported that a meeting was held on Thursday night between head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Health Minister Wael Abou Faour and Lebanese Forces lawmaker George Adwan.

A parliament session was held on Saturday in order to express Lebanon's solidarity with the Palestinian Gaza Strip and the Iraqi city of Mosul.

The session was chaired by Speaker Nabih Berri and attended by the majority of political blocs.

The salaries of public employees will be paid this month from “reserve funds” without resorting to parliamentary legislation, officials said on Wednesday, as the controversial issue of the new wage scale remained deadlocked.

Several meetings were held away from the media spotlight at the offices of MPs in parliament. The talks gathered Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, head of al-Mustaqbal bloc MP Fouad Saniora, Mustaqbal bloc MP Ghazi Youssef, Health Minister Wael Abu Faour and Lebanese Forces bloc MP George Adwan.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani downplayed on Wednesday the resignation of several members at the Higher Islamic Council he leads, lashing out at former Prime Minister Fouad Saniora.

“Until this moment these resignations are only media material, we haven't received yet anything written,” Qabbani said in comments published in An Nahar newspaper.

Head of al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc MP Fouad Saniora kicked off a tour on March 14 leaders to tackle the roadmap proposed by al-Mustaqbal chief ex-Premier Saad Hariri.

Local newspapers published on Tuesday reported that Saniora and head of the ex-PM's office Nader Hariri began their tour with Kataeb Party leader Amin Gemayel during a meeting held in Bikfaya on Sunday evening.

AMAL and al-Mustaqbal movements are expected to resume on Monday negotiations over the country's financial crisis after failing to reach a breakthrough over the weekend as both parties held onto their stances.

According to al-Liwaa newspaper, a meeting will be held on Monday between Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Speaker Nabih Berri's adviser, and al-Mustaqbal lawmakers Ghazi Youssef and Jamal al-Jarrah, in an attempt to end the crisis.

Negotiations between AMAL and al-Mustaqbal movements over the country's financial crisis failed to reach a breakthrough as the two parties insisted on their stance despite a mediation led by the Progressive Socialist Party.

Speaker Nabih Berri defended on Saturday his adviser, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, stressing that he insists on the endorsement of a spending decree at the parliament to pay the salaries of public employees.

Al-Mustaqbal Movement leader Saad Hariri will launch an initiative in the upcoming two days after intensive meetings with his party members in Jeddah, local newspapers reported on Wednesday.

Al-Joumhouria newspaper reported that consultations between Hariri and members of his movement aimed at “putting the final touches” on a political initiative that the former PM is expected to launch during his televised speech on Friday in an iftar hosted by al-Mustaqbal.

A delegation from al-Mustaqbal movement headed to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia for consultations with head of the movement former premier Saad Hariri.

The delegation will discuss with Hariri the latest developments and the stance from a possible cabinet session on Thursday, An Nahar newspaper reported on Monday.

Al-Mustaqbal bloc head MP Fouad Saniora stated on Friday that resisting terrorist operations could be achieved through avoiding the expansion of the Syrian and Iraqi turmoil into Lebanon.

"We have condemned and deplored (the recent) terrorist operations that have nothing to do with religion, ethics or with high standards and morals which the Lebanese have always held onto,” Saniora said after meeting with local delegations in the Hilaliyeh neighborhood of the southern city of Sidon.