Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil on Thursday criticized the parties that boycotted the Baabda national meeting.

“Those who believe that their rejection of dialogue would expose the government, the Presidency or a certain group are rather stripping Lebanon of the essence of its existence, especially if dialogue’s objective is to prevent strife,” Bassil said in his remarks at the meeting.

The participants in the Baabda national meeting called for by President Michel Aoun warned that Lebanon's multifaceted crisis is "more dangerous than war."

A memo was submitted Thursday to the Baabda dialogue meeting by the representative of the Progressive Socialist Party and the Democratic Gathering, MP Taymour Jumblat.

Former President Michel Suleiman lashed out at Hizbullah and the Resistance during the “national unity meeting” in Baabda, which prompted a reply from Hizbullah Loyal to the Resistance bloc MP Mohammed Raad, and Deputy Parliament Speaker Elie Ferzli, media reports said on Thursday.

Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni said Lebanon’s bailout negotiations with the International Monetary Fund are “positive and intense,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday.

President Michel Aoun said the meeting he invited Lebanese officials to on Thursday bears a major “protection of stability and civil peace”, mainly after the recent developments in the country.

A “national unity” meeting in Baabda kicked off on Thursday in the presence of the Lebanese government and its internal allies, and the boycott of opposition parties, as protesters gathered on the road to the Presidential Palace chanting slogans against the ruling authority.

The “national unity meeting” convened at the Presidential Palace in the absence of former prime ministers, leaders of Christian parties opposed to the presidential term and in the absence of the second largest parliamentary bloc in the Lebanese Parliament, al-Mustaqbal bloc, Asharq al-Awsat reported on Thursday.

Protesters took to the streets across the country on Wednesday evening to denounce the dire economic and financial situations.

The protests come on the eve of a national meeting called for by President Michel Aoun which will be boycotted by most of the opposition parties.

The Hotel-Dieu de France hospital in Beirut announced Wednesday that it took precautionary measures and ordered PCR tests after a patient, two of her relatives and nine of the medical staff tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement, Hotel-Dieu said the patient, who has chronic health problems, has been in the hospital for several weeks now.