The Lebanese Forces has “strongly rejected" a clause in the government's policy statement related to the “role of the Resistance” and has therefore demanded a replacement and for some time to study the policy before the cabinet convenes, al-Joumhouria daily reported Saturday.

“The Lebanese Forces has strongly disapproved a clause in the policy statement that read the “right of the people for resistance,” asking for replacing it with a clause that reads “right of the Lebanese State for resistance,”” LF source told the daily.

Tourism Minister Ouadis Kedenian expressed optimism on Friday as for the general situation in the country and said Lebanon's political scene has witnessed a quality leap via the election of new President Michel Aoun and the formation of a new cabinet following two years of presidential void, the National News Agency reported on Friday.

“I'm truly optimistic about the forthcoming phase, especially that some institutions will undergo improvement,” NNA added.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault will pay a visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a bid to reactivate the Saudi grant to arm the Lebanese army, al-Joumhouria daily reported Friday.

Ayrault explained, during his meeting with senior Lebanese officials on Thursday, his quest to reactivate the $3 billion grant of advanced French weapons manufactured in his country.

Minister of Economy, Raed Khoury stressed on Thursday that fighting corruption is one of the priorities that the new tenure and the Free Patriotic Movement will focus on, the state-run National News Agency reported.

“Fighting corruption is the new era and the FPM's priorities,” said Khoury, stressing that price monitoring and control have begun with the start of the holidays.

President Michel Aoun held a meeting with French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault and his accompanying delegation at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, the state-run National News Agency reported on Thursday.

Ayrault who arrived Wednesday evening, left the Baabda Palace without making a statement, NNA added.

During the first cabinet session held at the Presidential Palace in Baabda on Wednesday, President Michel Aoun made a number of “commandments” advising members of the cabinet to abide by in order to hold productive meetings away from “stalling and political debate,” al-Joumhouria daily reported Thursday.

Aoun expressed satisfaction with the course of the first cabinet meeting, saying it reflected the “current balance of power in the country.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault arrived in Beirut Wednesday evening on an official visit.

Armored personnel carriers provided by the United States to the Lebanese Armed Forces have been used by Hizbullah forces in Syria, a senior Israeli military official said on Wednesday.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has said that a ceasefire in Syria should not cover jihadist groups like the Islamic State group and the Fatah al-Sham Front, as well as groups like Lebanon's Hizbullah which fights on the regime side.

A senior Israeli military officer said Wednesday that the army believes Middle East's chaos has weakened the country's enemies, creating a low probability of war involving Israel in 2017.