The U.S. State Department on Sunday announced that reaching a solution in the sea border talks between Lebanon and Israel can only be reached through “negotiations and diplomacy,” shortly before the arrival of U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein in Beirut for talks with Lebanese officials.

“Following visits to Paris, Brussels, and Athens to discuss European energy security, Special Presidential Coordinator for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment Amos Hochstein will travel to Beirut July 31 to discuss sustainable solutions to Lebanon’s energy crisis, including the Biden Administration’s commitment to facilitating negotiations between Lebanon and Israel on the maritime boundary,” the State Dept. said in a statement.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has again commented sarcastically on the issue of the Iranian fuel grant.

Hezbollah members clashed overnight with residents of the southern border town of Rmeish, prompting the army to intervene to contain the situation.

Lebanon has appeared to reject claims by the Ukrainian Embassy in Beirut that a Syrian ship docked in a Lebanese port is carrying Ukrainian grain stolen by Russia, following an inspection by Lebanese customs officials.

A senior Lebanese customs official told The Associated Press that there was "nothing wrong" with the cargo of the Laodicea, which docked in the Lebanese port of Tripoli on Thursday, and that its papers were in order. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

The Ukrainian Embassy in Lebanon on Friday issued a statement to clarify why it believes that flour and barley aboard a Syrian-flagged ship docked in Lebanon’s Tripoli had been “stolen” from Ukraine.

“During the Russian occupation, more than 500,000 tons of grain were stolen from the occupied Kherson, Zaporizhia and Mykolaiv region,” it said.

Prime Minister-designate and caretaker PM Najib Mikati on Friday said that he is seeking to “halt the collapse” of the country.

“We need to address a lot of social issues and to organize the living matters and salaries so that we launch the rescue process and revive Lebanon,” Mikati said during his sponsorship of the launch of a touristic campaign in Tripoli.

U.S. President Joe Biden has extended the so-called U.S. National Emergency with respect to Lebanon.

“Certain ongoing activities, such as Iran’s continuing arms transfers to Hezbollah -- which include increasingly sophisticated weapons systems -- serve to undermine Lebanese sovereignty, contribute to political and economic instability in the region, and continue to constitute an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States,” Biden said in a statement, explaining what prompted the extension.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib revealed Friday that Lebanon has received “a number of protests and warnings from a number of Western countries” after a Syrian-flagged ship carrying wheat and barley arrived at Tripoli’s port on Thursday.

“The relevant authorities in Lebanon are currently examining the ship and Lebanon has not yet managed to identify the source of the material it is carrying,” Bou Habib added, noting that the appropriate decision would be taken later.

The Russian Embassy in Lebanon denied Friday any knowledge of a Syrian cargo ship that has docked in the port of Tripoli with "stolen grain from Ukraine."

Ukraine said the ship, sanctioned by the United States, carried 5,000 tons of flour and 5,000 tons of barley stolen by Russian from the war-torn country. The ship, Laodicea, was initially heading to Tartus Port in Syria, and was expected to arrive there earlier this week.

Free Patriotic Movement said Friday, in a video post on social video, that what is happening in Parliament is sad.

"First, there is disrespect and impoliteness between the MPs," Bassil said, adding that the Parliament is not "productive."