Caretaker Energy Minister Walid Fayyad on Tuesday said his ministry welcomes “any grant from any friendly country in the world,” hours after Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said he is willing to secure free fuel from Iran for Lebanon’s power plants.

“In this regard, we have prepared the specifications of the fuel needed for power plants,” Fayyad said.

MP Ziad Hawat of the Lebanese Forces-led Strong Republic bloc on Tuesday decried that Speaker Nabih Berri prevented lawmakers from raising the case of Archbishop Moussa al-Hajj during a legislative session.

“The normal and right place to voice opinion… is parliament and what has been happening since years in this regard is blocking parliament’s supervisory role over the ongoing violations,” Hawat said.

MP Cynthia Zarazir of the ‘change’ bloc on Tuesday decried the “disrespect” and “bullying” she has faced ever since entering parliament’s building for the first time.

“Ever since I entered parliament, I have not been shown any respect that suggests that those whom I will be present with for four years are firstly humans and secondly respectable people,” Zarazir said on her official Twitter and Facebook accounts, shortly after she faced several bullying and name-calling instances in parliament.

Slurs flew as parliament witnessed several heated exchanges between MPs during Tuesday’s legislative session.

President Michel Aoun on Tuesday told U.N. Special Coordinator for Lebanon Joanna Wronecka that Lebanon is committed to Resolution 1701, while Israel is constantly violating the Lebanese sovereignty by land, sea and air.

Aoun stressed the importance of the collaboration between the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the Lebanese Army, as he affirmed his willingness to carry out reforms and resume the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund.

Free Patriotic Movement chief MP Jebran Bassil suggested Tuesday a parliamentary recommendation to lift subsidies amid a recurring wheat crisis forcing Lebanese to queue in front of bakeries to get their flat Arabic bread.

The suggestion was welcomed by Prime Minister-designate Najib Mikati but rejected by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri who said that the government must take such decisions and that the lifting of subsidies is not within the Parliament's duties.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said Tuesday that Hezbollah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah is getting in the way of reaching a solution regarding the border demarcation between Lebanon and Israel.

"Nasrallah is obstructing the attempt to reach a solution," Gantz said, as he accused Hezbollah's chief of "harming the Lebanese and the energy sector."

Deputy Speaker Elias Bou Saab confirmed Tuesday ahead of a parliament session that U.S. mediator Amos Hochstein will visit Lebanon by the end of the week.

The MPs will discuss in their first legislative session today the maritime border demarcation with Israel.

Parliament convened Tuesday, in its first legislative session, to vote on 40 draft laws, including a reformed bank secrecy law and a wheat loan from the World Bank, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea who attended the session.

Parliament's approval of a reformed bank secrecy law is required by the International Monetary Fund to financially support Lebanon. The aim is to fight corruption and detect and investigate financial crimes.

Two U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutters have arrived in Beirut, Lebanon for a scheduled port visit, marking their arrival to the Middle East after departing the United States and transiting the Mediterranean Sea.

Fast response cutters USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146) and USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147) are the newest additions to a slate of Coast Guard ships supporting U.S. 5th Fleet from Bahrain, the U.S. Navy said in a statement.