United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Derek Plumbly condemned on Monday the clashes in the northern city of Tripoli and Sunday's rocket attack in Beirut's southern suburbs.

He said after holding talks with caretaker Prime Minister Najib Miqati: “I expressed appreciation for the efforts of the Lebanese army, the security authorities and the caretaker premier himself in trying to calm down and contain the security situation in Tripoli.”

The Maronite bishops council reiterated on Monday the need for political powers to reach an agreement over a new parliamentary electoral law.

They said in a statement after their monthly meeting: “We reject the extension of parliament's mandate without an agreement over a new vote.”

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani urged on Monday Speaker Berri to supervise the adoption of a new electoral law, rejecting attempts to extend parliament's mandate for sowing further divisions.

“There should be a new electoral law that becomes the bridge to change,” Qabbani said in a televised statement.

At least 79 Hizbullah members have been killed fighting alongside the Syrian army in the town of Qusayr since last week, a watchdog said on Monday.

"The number of Lebanese Hizbullah fighters killed in recent months in the outskirts of Damascus and Homs has risen to 141," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in a statement.

Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi agreed on Monday to coordinate with the rest of the country's religious leaders to prevent strife.

A statement issued by Dar al-Fatwa, Lebanon's top Sunni religious authority, said Qabbani telephoned al-Rahi and congratulated him on his safe return to Lebanon from a month-long trip abroad.

After the return of calm to the northern city of Tripoli on Monday those who hid in shelters or moved to other areas took stock of the damage caused by a week of deadly fighting between gunmen from rival neighborhoods.

The National News Agency said the majority of residents in the tense neighborhoods of Bab al-Tabbaneh, Jabal Mohsen, al-Baqqar, al-Rifa and al-Mankoubine returned to their homes as the army deployed heavily in the city.

Caretaker Premier Najib Miqati on Monday followed the lead of Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea and Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun in visiting Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi in Bkirki.

Voice of Lebanon radio (100.5) quoted al-Rahi as saying after the meeting that he “agreed” with Miqati on “important issues.”

Caretaker Energy Minister Jebran Bassil stressed on Monday that accepting the extension of the parliament mandate is conditional and linked to canceling the controversial 1960 electoral law.

A high ranking FPM figure, Bassil told al-Akhbar daily: “Our stances are clear. We agree on a parliament session to vote on a new electoral law. And if it was necessary we agree on a technical extension for a very short period of time.”

U.N. leader Ban Ki-moon said Sunday he is "deeply concerned" by Hizbullah's growing role in Syria's civil war and called for greater efforts to halt the spread of the conflict toward other countries.

In a statement released hours after two rockets hit the Hizbullah stronghold of southern Beirut, Ban called on all nations and groups to "cease supporting the violence inside Syria," said his spokesman Martin Nesirky.

A preliminary agreement has been reached among the country's major parties to extend parliament's mandate to the autumn of 2014, informed sources said Monday.

The sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper that Speaker Nabih Berri, who is the head of the Amal movement, Hizbullah and Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat have agreed on the extension.