Supporters of the AMAL Movement have replaced a Libyan flag with their movement’s flag near the Seaside Arena venue in Beirut in protest at the invitation of Libya to an Arab economic summit that will be held in the capital later this month.

Video footage shows a number of young men surrounding a flag pole near the venue. One of them mounts a ladder and starts removing the Libyan flag, cheered and instructed by his comrades. He then replaces it with an AMAL flag amid calls for “burning” the Libyan one.

Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil on Sunday criticized warnings issued by Speaker Nabih Berri and officials from his AMAL Movement over the issue of inviting Libya to Beirut’s upcoming Arab economic summit.

“A lot of parties want to target us, but we have to get stronger whenever the attack on us becomes fiercer,” Bassil told FPM cadres at the end of a closed-door seminar.

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale held talks Sunday with Army Commander General Joseph Aoun on the second day of an official Lebanon visit.

He was accompanied by U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard.

U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale has arrived in Lebanon, where he will meet with senior Lebanese officials to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues, the U.S. embassy said.

Assistant Arab League Secretary-General Hossam Zaki said on Saturday there were no plans to discuss Syria's invitation to attend a summit in Tunisia next March, during an economic summit scheduled in Beirut between January 19-20.

The debate in Lebanon intensified over the Arab Economic and Social Development summit scheduled in Beirut on January 19-20, due to the opposition of Speaker Nabih Berri to Libya's invitation and his calls to postpone the summit because of Syria’s lack of participation, media reports said on Saturday.

The Lebanese Army Command assured on Saturday that the situation on the southern border was stable following Israel’s provocative acts and breaches that included construction works along the Blue Line.

MP Hani Qobeissi of the AMAL Movement warned Friday that Libya's participation in an upcoming economic Arab summit in Beirut might have severe consequences.

“The participation of the Libyan delegation in the economic summit will open the door to all possibilities,” Qobeissi warned in an interview with al-Jadeed TV.

Caretaker Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil stressed Friday that there was “absolutely no intention of touching the value of Lebanese bonds” or to “restructure” the country's debt.

“There is absolutely no intention of touching the value of Lebanese bonds or taking a percentage of them,” Khalil said.

Beirut's upcoming Arab economic summit will be held on time and the tensions surrounding it are “domestic,” a top League official said on Friday.

“The summit will be held on time,” Assistant Arab League Secretary-General Hossam Zaki told reporters upon his arrival at Beirut's airport.