The discussion of diplomatic appointments by the cabinet on Monday hinges on a last-minute deal among top officials on taking the measure in a single step or on several stages, informed sources said.

The sources told As Safir daily that linking the appointments of civil servants from all ranks would hinder the process.

The death toll from the collapse of a six-storey building Sunday in the Ashrafiyeh neighborhood of Fassouh rose to 26 on Monday, officials said, with more people still trapped under the rubble.

Meanwhile, the cabinet announced it would grant compensation of 30 million Lebanese pounds (20,000 dollars) to the family of each victim as well as accommodation aid to families who had been living in the collapsed building.

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stated on Sunday that Lebanon will not be an open ground for foreign forces to wage their wars at the country’s expense.

He said during his Sunday sermon at Bkirki: “Lebanon must not be a channel or a source of instability in the region.”

Former Prime Minister Saad Hariri stated on Sunday that United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s visit to Lebanon is aimed at stressing the need for Lebanon to implement Security Council resolutions.

He said via Twitter that the U.N. chief also sought to emphasize the need for Lebanon to respect the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Sunday that the United Nations will be the primary sanctuary for people seeking peace, security, freedom, and democracy.

He said during a conference on “Reform and Transition to Democracy” at the Phoenicia Hotel: “We hope the United Nations will be more just in issuing resolutions and implementing them.

Former Prime Minister Fouad Saniora suggested to visiting United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon that the international organization demarcate Lebanon’s maritime border, reported the daily An Nahar on Sunday.

He proposed during their meeting on Saturday that the U.N. also determine Lebanon’s Exclusive Economic Zone, which would enable the country to exercise its rights to exploit the natural resources in the area.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati is expected to travel to France in February at the invitation of his French counterpart Francois Fillon, reported the daily al-Mustaqbal on Sunday.

Sources told the daily that the visit was scheduled for late January, but French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Premier Fillon, and Foreign Minister Alain Juppe’s busy schedule delayed the visit to February.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stated on Saturday that the United Nations and international community’s support for Lebanon represent a central step in establishing peace and stability in the country.

He during a dinner thrown in visiting U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon’s honor: “We need the international community’s support in forcing Israel to halt its violations of Lebanon’s sovereignty and implement international resolutions.”

Hizbullah MP Mohammed Raad stressed on Saturday that any change in Syria should be made by the people without any foreign intervention.

Raad said after meeting with Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu that the two have different points of view over the developments in Syria.

U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday met in Lebanon and discussed the "dangerous trajectory" of the crisis in Syria, Ban's spokesman said.

The U.N. secretary general and Turkish Minister are in Lebanon for a U.N. conference on democracy in the Arab world.