In light of the controversy surrounding a “secretive” presidential decree granting nationality to dozens including Syrian investors close to the Syrian regime, several Arab and foreign embassies have requested information about whether some of the figures are under international and Gulf sanctions, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.

The daily said the “embassies have shown special interest in the decree in the last 24 hours. They indirectly asked for information about it to know whether the individuals granted citizenship are linked to international and Gulf sanctions.”

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri announced on Tuesday during a Iftar in Beirut that the government to be formed will be comprised of 30 ministers.

MP Jamil Sayyed, a spy chief once jailed in connection to the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri gave testimony Tuesday to the international tribunal tasked with trying the crime.

As part of coordinating efforts to counter a controversial naturalization decree granting Lebanese citizenship to foreigners, lawyers of three political parties met on Tuesday at the Kataeb headquarters in al-Saifi, the National News Agency said on Tuesday.

Lawyers from the Kataeb party, Lebanese Forces and Progressive Socialist Party held talks to discuss the law that is yet to be disclosed.

Israel said on Tuesday that U.S. back-channel negotiations between the Lebanese and Israeli sides to solve the dispute over maritime borders have delayed exploration for oil and gas.”

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said that “suggestion of new ideas proposed through the US back-channel talks to mediate a maritime dispute between Israel and Lebanon have complicated operations for gas and oil exploration.”

Israeli airstrikes have reportedly hit military positions of Hizbullah in Syria’s western region of Qalamoun, Sky News Arabia reported on Tuesday.

The demarcation of Lebanon’s southern border was the focal point of a meeting held Monday at Baabda Palace between President Michel Aoun,Speaker Nabih Berri, PM-designate Saad Hariri, General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim and head of the Lebanese military delegation participating in the tripartite meetings held in Naqoura Brigadier General Amin Farahat and Brigadier General Ruli Fares.

The outcome of ongoing negotiations conducted between Lebanon and Israel through the United Nations was presented in order to address 13 disputed border points of the "Blue Line", al-Joumhouria daily said.

Several parliamentary blocs dismayed by a decree reportedly signed by President Michel Aoun granting Lebanese citizenship to foreigners, have headed to the Interior Ministry on Monday to request a copy of the decree.

A Kataeb delegation led by MP Nadim Gemayel said after leaving the ministry that Kataeb is requesting a copy to get acquainted with the names listed under that decree, in light of the “ambiguity” surrounding the issue, said Gemayel.

Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali visited caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Monday at the ministry where he presented an amended copy of a Syrian property law that raised Lebanon’s concerns, as he assured that Syria-Lebanon coordination “necessary for return of Syrian refugees.”

The Internal Security Forces announced on Monday the detention of several individuals of foreign nationalities belonging to an international criminal organization that smuggles large amounts of cocaine into Lebanon.

In a statement released on Monday, the ISF said “after thorough monitoring, a group of foreign nationals belonging to a criminal organization specialized in smuggling large amounts of cocaine to Lebanon were arrested.”