The March 14 forces on Thursday announced their boycott of the upcoming national dialogue session over “the refusal of Hizbullah’s leadership to discuss the issue of arms.”

“The conferees discussed the latest stances voiced by Hizbullah’s leadership, which rejected to discuss the issue of the party’s arms and blocked the possibility to seriously address the issue of illegal weapons,” the March 14 forces said after a broad meeting at the Center House in downtown Beirut.

Army Commander General Jean Qahwaji stressed on Thursday that the criticism and praise issued against the army by various political sides will not affect the unity of the institution or the morale of its troops.

He said before the Army Command and top officers: “We will no longer remain silent over any verbal, media, or moral attack.”

Special Tribunal for Lebanon Pre-Trial Judge Daniel Fransen issued on Thursday an order setting March 25, 2013 as a tentative date for trial to start in the Ayyash et al case, announced the tribunal in a statement.

“The order provides the parties and the victims' legal representatives with a concrete starting date allowing them to continue preparing for trial,” explained the statement.

The flow of Syrians flocking to Lebanon to escape their country’s unrest increased in light of Wednesday’s Damascus bombing that claimed the lives of three top security officials, reported the Central News Agency on Thursday.

Security sources told the news agency that the new wave of refugees includes several Lebanese students who were studying at the University of Damascus.

Beirut Examining Magistrate Ghassan Owaidat recommended on Thursday the death penalty for 88 individuals who were involved in the 2007 Nahr al-Bared clashes with the Lebanese army.

The suspects were accused in the 447-page indictment of murder and attempted killing and of targeting state security by funding and carrying out terrorist acts.

Dar al-Fatwa accused Free Patriotic Movement leader Michel Aoun on Thursday of killing Sunni Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed twice by claiming he was carrying liquor bottles in his car when he was shot at an army checkpoint in the northern district of Akkar in May.

“Aoun should apologize for publicly insulting Muslims and Ulemas in particular,” Dar al-Fatwa said in a statement.

Speaker Nabih Berri slammed on Thursday the “terrorist” bombing that targeted top Syrian security officials on Wednesday, saying that Syria will overcome its crisis and achieve peace.

He said in a statement: “The terrorist act is no doubt aimed at targeting the Syrian leadership in order to fragment the Syrian army, which acts as a guarantee for the country’s unity.”

Bulgarian investigators worked with the FBI and Interpol Thursday to identify the suicide attacker behind a deadly bombing on a bus carrying Israeli tourists, as Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu said the attack "was perpetrated by Hizbullah" and Iran denied involvement.

The attack "was perpetrated by Hizbullah, Iran's leading terrorist proxy," said Netanyahu, describing the Lebanese group as "the long arm of Iran."

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi denied on Thursday that he and Prime Minister Najib Miqati were behind the decision to re-detain the three officers and 5 soldiers, who were held in connection with the killing of Sunni Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed and his companion Mohammed Merheb.

“We didn’t formulate a plan that allows the re-arrest of officers nor we proposed that before the cabinet during its previous session on Monday,” Qortbawi told al-Joumhouria newspaper.

The cabinet that convened at the Baabda Palace on Wednesday witnessed a heated debate between Free Patriotic Movement and AMAL ministers over the full-time employment of Electricite du Liban’s contract workers.

According to local newspapers published on Thursday, FPM Energy Minister Jebran Bassil engaged in a sharp spat with AMAL Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil after Bassil urged Interior Minister Marwan Charbel to evacuate the employees from EDL’s headquarters by force.