Al-Marada leader Suleiman Franjieh met Thursday with Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi over the arrest and summons of archbishop Mussa al-Hajj.

Franjieh said that there's a fifth column in al-Hajj's case and asked who might benefit from the incident, as he condemned the act without blaming his allies, the Shiite Duo.

Army chief Joseph Aoun is not comfortable with Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea supporting him as a Presidency candidate, al-Joumhouria newspaper said.

The daily on Thursday reported that Aoun doesn't want his name to circulate as a candidate for Presidency.

Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Yair Lapid has told U.S. envoy Amos Hochstein that he wants to make a deal with Lebanon over the disputed maritime border as soon as possible, American news website Axios reported.

The conversation between Lapid and Hochstein took place last week on the sidelines of Biden's visit to Israel.

Lebanon's General Security agency denied Thursday any call between General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi, following the arrest and summons of archbishop Mussa al-Hajj.

The General Security said in a statement that the arrest of Hajj is "a judicial procedure that anyone who crosses from and to Palestinian territories is subject to, without any exception."

An emergency meeting was held Wednesday in Bkirki by the council of Maronite bishops to discuss the issue of General Security’s detention and lengthy interrogation of the Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land and the Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan, Moussa El-Hage.

“The closing statement will be strongly-worded, it will mention certain steps and officials will be demanded to execute them,” MTV reported.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Gegaea on Wednesday expressed concern over Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s latest televised speech, in which the latter threatened Israel with military action if Lebanon’s sea border demarcation demands are not met.

A statement issued after Geagea met with the visiting American Task Force for Lebanon delegation said talks tackled border demarcation among other issues and that the delegation put Geagea in the picture of “the atmosphere in the United States and the stances of Lebanese leaders on the demarcation issue.”

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Wednesday used the title of the famous ‘Aal Asfouriyeh’ song by late Lebanese singer Sabah to hope that Lebanon will not reach the “lunatic asylum” stage.

Mikati voiced his remarks at the launch of the touristic Lebanon Summer Campaign at the Rafik Hariri International Airport.

Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid flew over the Karish natural gas platform in the Mediterranean on Tuesday and was briefed by competent Israeli officials during the flight, his office said.

"Israel's natural gas reserves have the potential to contribute toward a solution for the global energy crisis. Lebanon could also benefit from developing the reserves in its economic waters, through negotiations, which should be concluded forthwith,” Lapid said.

The Israeli army on Tuesday denied that any of its drones had crashed into Lebanon in the past week, after a reporter of Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV said an Israeli drone had crashed in the Lebanese region of al-Wazzani earlier in the day.

The al-Manar reporter also tweeted a picture of the small quadcopter.

General Security’s detention and lengthy interrogation of Lebanese Maronite archbishop Moussa El-Hage upon his return from Israel is a “message” to Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi over his “patriotic stances,” Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea said on Tuesday.

El-Hage is the Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Haifa and the Holy Land and the Patriarchal Exarch of Jerusalem and Palestine and Jordan. According to the Nidaa al-Watan newspaper, he was detained at the Naqoura border crossing before being interrogated for eight hours.