Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi held talks Wednesday with Prime Minister Saad Hariri on the latest local and regional developments.

“I was honored to meet with the premier to congratulate him on his safe return and on the statement that was issued by the government,” al-Rahi added after the Grand Serail meeting, referring to a statement in which Hariri's government reaffirmed its commitment to distancing Lebanon from regional conflicts.

President Michel Aoun on Wednesday called on the international community to recognize Palestine as a state and urged Muslim nations to penalize any state that recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Muslim nations “should file an urgent complaint with the Security Council and the U.N. in the name of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in order to block the United States' decision and oblige the U.S. to annul it,” Aoun told an emergency OIC summit in Istanbul that was called to discuss U.S. leader Donald Trump's controversial recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

The United States on Wednesday announced new assistance to the Lebanese military including helicopters and other advanced military equipment.

The new assistance package was disclosed during a visit by the head of U.S. Central Command Gen. Joseph Votel to Lebanon on Wednesday during which he met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Defense Minister Yaacoub el-Sarraf and Army chief General Joseph Aoun.

Prime Minister Saad Hariri emphasized on Tuesday that political parties must commit to the country's dissociation policy for stability's sake stressing that "Hizbullah issue is bigger than Lebanon”, as he announced alliance with President Michel Aoun for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil emphasized on Tuesday that world leaders must take practical decisions measuring with the magnitude of danger threatening Jerusalem after a US decision to recognize it as the capital of Israel, the National News Agency reported Tuesday.

Bassil, who accompanied President Michel Aoun and a high-ranking delegation to Istanbul, spoke at an emergency Organization of Islamic Cooperation summit on Jerusalem on the move by US President Donald Trump.

Pernille Dahler Kardel arrived in Beirut to take up her new position as Acting United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), a press release said on Tuesday.

Kardel was received by an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at Beirut Rafik Hariri international airport.

Hizbullah has been reportedly “taking all positive steps towards Prime Minister Saad Hariri” and “giving him a push” to practice his role as premier in response to Saudi Arabia's latest stance when “it tried to impose a “fait accompli” and force the PM to resign,” Ad Diyar daily reported Tuesday.

Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday condemned “in the strongest terms” a recent visit by an Iraqi militia chief to the Lebanese-Israeli border.

“The bloc condemns in the strongest terms the bravado of the leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, Qais al-Khazali, in the UNIFIL Area of Operations in south Lebanon,” Mustaqbal said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting, which was chaired by Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

The Change and Reform parliamentary bloc boasted Tuesday that “Lebanon returned to the map of the world in only one year thanks to the president and the action of the head of the bloc,” in reference to President Michel Aoun and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil.

“The bloc and the Free Patriotic Movement are still pursuing the path of the founder (Aoun) and are still advocates of the National Pact, the Constitution and Arab belonging and identity,” Change and Reform said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting and recited by Justice Minister Salim Jreissati.

President Michel Aoun has vowed to “defend” Jerusalem at an emergency summit for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation that he will attend in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Aoun will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil and a number of diplomats and will deliver Lebanon's address at the summit.