Ex-PM Saad Hariri on Tuesday pledged to support PM-designate Najib Miqati in the mission of forming a new government, as he defended al-Mustaqbal bloc over the uproar related to the lifting of parliamentary immunities in the port blast case.

“Together with al-Mustaqbal bloc, I have tasked myself with securing the requirements of success for PM-designate Najib Miqati and we’ll back him in his steps,” said Hariri at a press conference that followed a meeting for his bloc.

The crisis in Lebanon will be among a host of issues that Israel’s defense minister will discuss with his French counterpart in Paris this week, an Israeli government statement said Tuesday.

The Israeli defense ministry said Benny Gantz will travel on Wednesday for the meeting with Florence Parly and that the two will discuss the Israeli spyware company NSO, the crisis in Lebanon and nuclear talks between world powers and Iran.

Behind closed doors, Prime Minister–designate Najib Miqati has asserted that if he is able to form a government, “its priorities, in the period until the parliamentary elections, will be to ensure the access of the Lebanese to medicine, fuel and electricity."

Members of his team told al-Akhbar newspaper, in remarks published Tuesday, that Miqati “is willing to suggest the idea of using the $900 million that Lebanon will receive from the International Monetary Fund to build two power plants in Deir Amar and al-Zahrani, which would cover Lebanon’s entire need for electricity.”

President Michel Aoun has agreed with Prime Minister-Designate Najib Miqati "to expedite the new government's formation,” media sources said, adding that they have not yet discussed “the details of the government's composition.”

Sources close to the Baabda Palace revealed, in remarks published Tuesday in several newspapers, that "Aoun and Miqati have not yet gone into the details of the government's line-up, the distribution of portfolios, or any other issues related to the formation mechanism," but have “agreed on expediting the government formation.”

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil announced Tuesday that the FPM has decided not to take part in the government that is supposed to be formed by PM-designate Najib Miqati.

France on Monday urged the formation of a "competent and capable" government in Lebanon to carry out reforms after a year of political deadlock, shortly after Najib Miqati was named as the country's new PM-designate.

Former premier Najib Miqati was on Monday named PM-designate after he garnered 72 votes in the binding parliamentary consultations.

Speaker Nabih Berri described the atmosphere of Najib Miqati’s expected designation as “positive” in light of “the announced positions of the blocs,” according to media sources.

He told ASharq al-Awsat newspaper, in remarks published Monday, that the refusal of the Free Patriotic Movement bloc and the Lebanese Forces bloc to vote for Miqati can’t be classified as disrespect for the 1943 National Pact -- an unwritten Christian-Muslim power-sharing agreement.

President Michel Aoun expressed on Monday his hope for “a new government to be formed as soon as possible to proceed with the required reforms in order to save the economic situation in the country."

Aoun added that “the new government will complete in the coming period necessary reforms that Lebanon has already started.”

Poised to become the country’s PM-designate later in the day, ex-PM Najib Miqati on Monday denied reports claiming that, over the past days, he had held deliberations over the portfolios of the upcoming government.