Hundreds of retired Lebanese army soldiers briefly broke through a police cordon near Parliament in downtown Beirut as the legislature was in session, discussing the 2022 budget.

The protesters demanded an increase in their monthly retirement pay, decimated during the economic meltdown.

The Association of Banks in Lebanon announced Sunday that the country’s banks will resume operations as of Monday, following a one-week closure prompted by a wave of bank “heists” that were carried out by depositors demanding their savings.

In a statement, ABL said it held a meeting in which it discussed “the need to secure the continuity of services for clients while taking into consideration the difficult security situations and the need to preserve the safety of clients and employees alike, in the absence of sufficient protection from the state.”

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has noted that he is not a presidential candidate as he reassured that a new government will be formed.

“I won’t become a candidate except after I declare my candidacy, which I haven’t done until now,” Bassil said, in a video interview with Annahar newspaper.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday met with the ambassadors of the EU and its member states resident in Beirut.

During the meeting, Berri thoroughly explained “the roadmap to rescue the situation in Lebanon, topped by the agreement with the International Monetary Fund and finalizing the reformist laws such as the state budget, the capital control law, the banking secrecy law and the economic recovery plan that have recently reached parliament.”

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Friday reiterated his call for electing a “salvation president” who can rescue Lebanon, in comments related to the new boat tragedy in Tripoli.

“Today there is a new death ferry from Tripoli, dozens of victims and continued tears and pain, and yesterday there had been storming operations against a host of banks that led to a general strike of banks and additional suffering for the Lebanese citizens,” Geagea said.

President Michel Aoun on Friday expressed his relief over “the tripartite statement that was issued yesterday by France, the U.S. and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia regarding the situation in Lebanon.”

He also stressed “the need to elect a new president within the constitutional timeframe in addition to forming a new government that would win parliament’s confidence prior to the expiry of the presidential term on October 31.”

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati has expressed hope to finalize the cabinet formation file in the meetings that he will hold with President Michel Aoun next week, adding that the issue “does not need a lot of discussions.”

Speaking to MTV from New York, where he took part in the works of the U.N. General Assembly and met with several leaders, Mikati said the issues of the presidential vote, the aspired agreement with the International Monetary Fund and sea border demarcation with Israel were the focus of his talks there.

Marada Movement chief Suleiman Franjieh has confirmed that his nomination is on the table in the presidential race, as he voiced optimism over his chances.

“We are monitoring things… and I’m more optimistic than last time,” Franjieh said in an interview on MTV.

A state of anger was on Thursday engulfing the impoverished neighborhood of Bab al-Tabbaneh in Tripoli, after a boat carrying 55 illegal migrants went missing while en route to Italy, al-Jadeed TV reported.

“The residents are urging Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to intervene to unveil their fate,” al-Jadeed added.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Thursday stressed to the U.N. General Assembly “the commitment of Lebanon to the implementation of all the stipulations of Resolution 1701 and all international legitimacy resolutions.”

Turning to the issue of sea border demarcation with Israel, Mikati hailed the U.S. mediation in the file and emphasized Lebanon’s “ultimate adherence to its sovereignty, rights and resources in its territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone.”