The relatives of the Beirut port blast victims on Friday staged a sit-in outside the Justice Palace in Beirut under the slogan “The Blood of Out Martyrs is Above Your Immunities”, in which they lashed out at several officials and threatened a major escalation in their protests.

The former army commander Jean Qahwaji came Friday to the Palace of Justice in Beirut to appear before the judicial investigator Judge Tarek al-Bitar over the Beirut Port blast case.

The session was not held due to the lawyers' strike, and was postponed to Monday, August 2.

As food systems around the world continue to recover from the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.N. in Lebanon has hosted a virtual Food Systems Dialogue to inform the first-ever U.N. Food Systems Summit, which will take place in New York in September, about the future of food in Lebanon.

Joanna Wronecka, the U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, and UNIFIL Force Commander Stefano Del Col have briefed the U.N. Security Council on the implementation of Resolution 1701, based on the latest report of U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Focusing on the recent developments in Lebanon, Wronecka highlighted the country's multiple and accumulating socio-economic, financial and political difficulties and their impact on the people.

Two missiles or their remnants fell overnight in the Lebanese towns of Lehfed in Jbeil and al-Majdal in Koura during an Israeli raid on Hizbullah arms depots in Syria's Homs.

It was not immediately clear whether the missiles were fired by Israeli warplanes or by Syria's air defenses.

President Michel Aoun on Wednesday stressed that the upcoming binding parliamentary consultations to name a new premier-designate will be held on time.

The Presidency on Monday scheduled the binding parliamentary consultations to name a new PM for Monday, July 26.

Saad Hariri had stepped down as PM-designate on Thursday after nine months of futile deliberations, citing deep disagreements with President Michel Aoun.

The Free Patriotic Movement on Monday denied a media report that claimed that FPM chief Jebran Bassil is seeking the nomination of an adviser to President Michel Aoun for the PM-designate post.

In a statement, the FPM’s media department said it “categorically denies” a report in the Nidaa al-Watan daily that alleged that Bassil was “promoting the name of Mr. Fadi Assli,” the President’s adviser for Gulf affairs.

Resigned Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri noted Monday that the country’s current “collapse” could have been avoided, days after he quit the mission of forming a new government over deep disagreements with President Michel Aoun and his camp.

A delegation from the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes (TFFC) office is visiting Beirut from July 19-21, the U.S. Embassy said on Monday.

"They will meet with financial sector interlocutors and civil society groups to engage on issues related to corruption, illicit finance, and counterterrorism," the Embassy added in a statement.