The Israeli military embarked on erecting a sand barrier in Mays al-Jabal-Tallet Sharaqi on the border with Lebanon on Monday, LBCI TV station reported.

Lebanon prepares for hosting the Arab Economic and Social Development Summit next month as it still struggles to form a new government, as Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri objected to not inviting Syria to the event, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday.

The daily said that political circles have recently raised the issue of preparations for the Beirut summit expected mid-next month, in light of aggravating conflict between the political parties over cabinet shares and quotas leaving the country “governmentless.”

Activists from the Sabaa party staged a sit-in on Saturday near the Ministry of Finance-TVA Directorate in Beirut's neighborhood of Adliyeh.

The “Hizbullah” tunnels reportedly discovered by the Israeli army on the Blue Line last week are “old and deserted” tunnels that Israel is “exploiting for political ends,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday.

The Presidency’s media office stressed on Friday that government formation remarks attributed to President Michel Aoun were “inaccurate.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader Walid Jumblat criticized on Friday a suggestion to expand the cabinet seats from 30 to 32, in light of the state’s “efforts to curb squandering and expenses.”

“In light of full swing efforts to curtail squandering and expenses, it seems cloning two new ministers is what’s required,” Jumblat said in a sarcastic tweet.

In light of reports claiming the President would replace the Premier if he rejects a 32-minister government proposal, head of the Change Movement Elie Mahfoud warned on Friday that al-Mustaqbal Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Lebanese Forces “would not take part in a government not led by PM-designate Saad Hariri.”

UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Stefano Del Col, along with a technical team, on Thursday visited a location near Metulla in northern Israel where the Israeli army “has discovered a tunnel close to the Blue Line,” the U.N. force said in a statement.

“Based on the site inspection, UNIFIL can confirm the existence of a tunnel at the location,” the force added.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that there is “reasonable possibility” Israel will have to “operate in Lebanon” to neutralize Hizbullah's alleged “attack tunnels.”

"We are denying our enemies the tunnels weapon in a systematic, determined manner and we will do whatever it takes," Netanyahu told 25 foreign ambassadors at a briefing near Lebanon’s border.

Syrian ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali stressed on Thursday that coordination between Lebanon and Syria on the file of refugees falls in the interest of both countries.