Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi stressed on Sunday that the truth is the primary element for peace “as we cannot live in peace without finding out God’s truth.”

He said during the Sunday sermon from his hometown of Himlaya: “History does not belong to war, destruction, and oppression … but the ultimate truth alone can set the people free.”

Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat warned on Sunday of attempts to create disputes between Lebanese and Syrians in light of the anti-regime protests in Syria.

He said while on tour in Rashayya: “Syria can only be cured through the punishment of those who committed the crimes against the Syrian people.”

Free Patriotic Movement leader MP Michel Aoun stressed on Sunday that Lebanon’s future is “closely linked to the Resistance and the powers that are confronting Israel’s policies.”

He told al-Nour radio: “We cannot survive as a nation without these powers and without the Resistance’s support.”

Riyadh has informed Prime Minister Najib Miqati that he is not welcome in Saudi Arabia, revealed opposition sources to the daily Ad Diyar on Sunday.

They added that Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat was charged with relaying this message to the premier.

It is unclear if the national dialogue agenda will strictly tackle Hizbullah’s possession of arms, informed sources told al-Mustaqbal daily in remarks published on Sunday.

They added that the agenda and the participants’ expectations have not been set yet.

Lebanon has submitted a request to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to extend the term of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon in accordance with Security Council resolution 1701, reported al-Mustaqbal daily on Sunday.

Diplomatic sources expected the Security Council to take a decision on the matter in late August.

Prime Minister Najib Miqati and National Struggle Front ministers are eager on maintaining Internal Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi and General Prosecutor Saeed Mirza in their positions, revealed ministerial sources to the daily Al-Liwaa in remarks published on Sunday.

They explained that Mirza is expected to play a major role in Lebanon in the upcoming phase in the country because of his ties with Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji returned to Lebanon on Friday after a four-day visit to France where he met with a number of French military officials including Chief of Staff Edouard Guillaud, reported the daily An Nahar Sunday.

The Army Command said in a statement that Qahwaji toured a number of French military bases, with talks with French officials focusing on the French unit in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and bilateral ties between the two armies.

One of the seven Estonian cyclists who was freed from captivity some ten days ago, Jaan Jagomagi revealed that their kidnappers were Sunni Muslims from Iraq who abducted them for ransom in order to gain money for political purposes, he told Agence France Presse.

He said that the captives talked with their eighth abductors in English, adding that two of them were wearing explosive belts.

Israel has issued a complaint to the United Nations over U.N. Special Coordinator of Lebanon Michael Williams’ recent report on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701, reported the pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat on Sunday.

It deemed the report as being “lenient” with Hizbullah, while U.N. circles said that Israel was “upset with Williams for a number of reasons, most notably the fact that he failed to mention resolution 1559 at Hizbullah’s request.”