Syrian President Bashar Assad has warned that Hizbullah's rifle was directed at Israel, saying no one should dare touch the resistance and its arms, al-Akhbar daily reported Thursday.

The newspaper also quoted Assad as calling for restraint in Lebanon and unification of weapons to confront Israel.

The Loyalty to the Resistance bloc criticized on Wednesday calls for Beirut to become an arms-free city.

It said after its weekly meeting: "The unrealistic slogans about Beirut do not reflect the spirit of understanding that the government had maintained in its ministerial statement."

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has expressed frustration over President Michel Suleiman's alleged negligence of his defense strategy proposal during the last national dialogue session.

"Speaker Nabih Berri is the only official who expressed interest because he is open to all suggestions and possibilities at all times," Geagea told CNN in an interview.

The March 14 General Directorate praised on Wednesday Special Tribunal for Lebanon Prosecutor Daniel Bellemare for his "strong professionalism" in the investigation in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

It said in a statement after its weekly meeting: "His latest stands are "an indication of the failure of intimidation campaigns that are aimed at targeting the STL and its credibility, and the impossibility of influencing the independent investigation."

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat stated Tuesday that Israel seeks to create internal strife between Sunnis and Shiites in Lebanon, as well as target the country's security and stability.

The MP made his stand during a visit to the Iranian embassy in Lebanon where he met with Iran's Ambassador to Lebanon Ghazanfar Abadi.

The Security Council on Monday issued a new condemnation of tensions along the Lebanon-Israel border as it renewed the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon without changes to its rules of engagement.

In a unanimous resolution, the Council said it had determined that "the situation in Lebanon continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security" and had therefore decided to extend UNIFIL's mandate until 31 August 2011.

Lebanon's Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Qabbani on Friday inspected Basta Mosque that was set ablaze by militants in Tuesday's bloody gunbattles and called for holding negligent officials accountable.

Qabbani said Dar el-Fatwa will take charge of renovating and rehabilitating the mosque with help from Makkased Association.

Interior Minister Ziad Baroud said he was betting on the positive reaction of political forces to the formation of a ministerial committee tasked with finding solutions to the spread of arms across Lebanon.

"It is in the interest of all for weapons to be organized because everyone is harmed by the use of arms," Baroud told An Nahar daily in remarks published Friday.

Mustaqbal bloc MP Nohad al-Mashnouq noted Friday that the recent clashes in Borj Abi Haidar have removed all reasons for maintaining weapons in Beirut and have stripped the arms of their "holy" label.

He told the daily Asharq al-Awsat: "We will not back down from our peaceful and civil resistance and our demand that Beirut be devoid of weapons."

Minister of Labor Butros Harb stressed Friday that any solution to the widespread possession of arms in Lebanon requires follow up by the political powers.

He told Future News that the political powers should support the ministerial committee that Cabinet formed in order to tackle the arms possession.