The domestic and foreign efforts regarding the presidential file “have not achieved any progress towards exiting the crisis,” a senior Hezbollah official said on Monday.

Caretaker Minister of the Displaced Issam Sharafeddine has launched a vehement verbal attack on caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib over the Syrian refugee file.

“You talk a lot and I tolerated you last time, but what are you good for? You are subservient, gutless and complicit,” Sharafeddine added.

The Finance and Budget Parliamentary Committee convened Monday to discuss the legality of the government's spendings from the $1.139 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) disbursed by the International Monetary Fund.

The committee's head, MP Ibrahim Kanaan, said after the meeting that the committee has decided to refer the SDR file to the Audit Bureau, accusing the government of spending illegally from the SDR without the parliament's approval and supervision.

Lebanese Forces chief Samir Geagea on Monday acknowledged that the Syrian refugee crisis has become an “existential threat” for Lebanon, calling for measures by the government instead of “statements and political exploitation.”

“The Free Patriotic Movement and its allies don’t represent a mere majority in the government but rather the entire caretaker Cabinet, so why doesn’t this government convene and give clear and very specific executive orders to all the security agencies that are concerned with implementing the Lebanese laws?” Geagea wondered.

Lebanese security forces said Monday they had arrested two Syrian nationals previously based in Libya who were involved in smuggling people from the North African country to Europe.

The men were arrested in Lebanon's east, an area near the Syrian border, after they entered the country irregularly, Lebanon's Internal Security Forces said in a statement.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib has said that both the West and Damascus are rejecting the return of Syrian refugees from Lebanon to the war-torn country.

Bou Habib, who is currently in Washington, spoke to al-Joumhouria newspaper about the steps that a ministerial committee will make to communicate with Syria over the return of the refugees. In addition to Bou Habib, the committee comprises General Security acting chief Maj. Gen. Elias Bayssari and Higher Defense Council chief Maj. Gen. Mohammed al-Mustafa.

As Lebanon continues to plunge in bitter political divisions, Qatar is silently trying to help it break its long presidential impasse.

Qatari envoy Jassem Bin Fahad Al-Thani is still in Beirut on a consultative mission that he will resume this week with a visit to the Grand Serail, informed sources told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Monday.

Hezbollah central council member Sheikh Nabil Qaouq has noted that “there are foreign, international and domestic initiatives to resolve the presidential crisis but no progress towards a solution.”

“This is because the challenge and confrontation folk have torpedoed all these initiatives due to deep-rooted grudges and failed bets,” Qaouq said.

Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil has warned some domestic political forces against being “delusional” regarding the presidential file.

“Delusional are those waiting for the balances of power to change so that their candidate reaches the presidency, such as betting on a strike against Hezbollah or Iran, the fall of (Syrian) President (Bashar) al-Assad, or betting on a Syrian-Saudi or Saudi-Iranian understanding,” Bassil said during a visit to Zahle.

A demo dubbed “Freedoms March” was attacked and besieged by a mob Saturday in downtown Beirut after it was accused of “promoting homosexuality.”

The attacks against protesters and journalists left several people wounded and the besieged individuals were eventually evacuated in Internal Security Forces armored vehicles after several hours of chaos.