An Israeli airstrike targeted suspected Hezbollah posts in Syria's coastal Tartus province on Saturday morning, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

PM-designate Najib Mikati, in his capacity as caretaker PM, signed Friday the decree of military and security promotions as he received it from the Finance Ministry.

A week ago, media reports said Speaker Nabih Berri was “still refusing to agree to the promotions of the officers who graduated (from the Military School) in 1994 under the excuse of ‘sectarian imbalance.’”

President Michel Aoun discussed Friday with Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati the Cabinet draft line-up that the latter had submitted to the President on Wednesday, the Presidency said.

The line-up, handwritten by Mikati, was leaked on the same day. Both parties denied they have leaked it, in separate statements.

U.S. ambassador Dorothy Shea briefed Friday President Michel Aoun on the outcome of U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein’s talks with the Israelis and the progress that has been achieved, the Presidency said.

Also on Friday, a media report said that Israel's response suggests selling to Lebanon Israel’s small share in the Qana offshore field.

Hezbollah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem on Thursday stressed that the formation of a new government is “something essential and fundamental,” urging the parties to offer compromises.

“The government’s formation is considered something essential and fundamental, because without a government nothing can change in this situation and things might deteriorate further,” Qassem said.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea has considered himself a natural candidate for the presidency as he described himself as "the most representative of his sect."

Yet, Geagea said, in a TV interview, that he will not waste time on securing votes and that the biggest concern is to unify the opposition on one candidate to succeed President Michel Aoun.

Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati on Thursday made new suggestions related to the financial recovery plan, which some MPs have considered to be a “new plan,” al-Jadeed TV reported.

In a meeting with the finance parliamentary committee, Mikati proposed the creation of “a recovery fund for returning a part of the bank deposits” to depositors, the TV network added.

The United Nations has issued a statement expressing its concern about "the rising hate speech, discrimination, and violence towards Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ+) individuals and organizations in Lebanon."

"As enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and under the United Nations’ global commitment to leave no one behind, we encourage the Government of Lebanon to respect its national and international human rights obligations, including the rights of all people to freedom of assembly, association, and expression - regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics," the statement said.

The circulated reports about the arrival of U.S. warships to protect the Karish offshore gas field are baseless, a U.S. Embassy source told al-Jadeed TV on Thursday.

Al-Akhbar newspaper had earlier reported, quoting “UNIFIL sources,” that U.S. warships had arrived off the Karish field and started measures aimed at protecting the Energean Power gas vessel.

The Finance and Budget Committee, headed by MP Ibrahim Kanaan, convened Thursday to discuss the 2022 state budget law and the recovery plan, in the presence of Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati.

Cabinet in its last session last month, prior to becoming a caretaker Cabinet and ahead of the beginning of the term of the new parliament, had approved the economic recovery plan amid the objection of some ministers.