Fierce clashes pitted Syrian rebels against troops and fighters loyal to Hizbullah in several villages near Qusayr on the border with Lebanon on Tuesday, a watchdog said.

Meanwhile, a military source told AFP the army expects to seize the town of Qusayr, a rebel stronghold, "within days."

President Michel Suleiman condemned on Tuesday the kidnapping of Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo Youhanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo and Iskanderun Boulos al-Yaziji in Syria on Monday, demanding their immediate release.

He said: “These actions will not achieve democracy or the goals of the perpetrators.”

Salafist cleric Sheikh Salem al-Rafehi said Tuesday that he informed caretaker Interior Minister Marwan Charbel his readiness to withdraw his call for jihad if Hizbullah ended its involvement in Syria's civil war.

In remarks to LBCI, al-Rafehi said: “Charbel telephoned me and I formed him our readiness to pull the invitation to Jihad in Syria if Hizbullah stopped sending fighters to Syria.”

General Prosecutor Judge Hatem Madi requested on Tuesday lifting immunity off al-Mustaqbal MP Moeen al-Merehbi a day after he allegedly opened fire at an ISF patrol in Tripoli.

Madi submitted the request to caretaker Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi, who in turn referred it to the parliament.

Two Grad rockets fired from Syrian territories on Tuesday exploded on the outskirts of Lebanon's Hermel town district, causing material damage only.

According to the state-run National News Agency, one of the rockets landed in al-Maali area, damaging and under construction building.

Rival lawmakers failed on Tuesday to reach an agreement on a hybrid electoral draft-law after they accused each other of obstructing attempts to achieve consensus on a system that would replace the 1960 law.

“Despite our conviction that the country is in a difficult situation and we have certain responsibilities .. we found out that the gap between some members is still very huge,” MP Robert Ghanem, the chairman of a parliamentary subcommittee, said.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will not visit Lebanon soon as he is occupied with addressing the crises in Syria and North Korea and several other international matters, media reports said on Tuesday.

According to As Safir newspaper, Kerry wasn't scheduled to head to Lebanon anytime soon.

Political parties have proposed to Premier-Designate Tammam Salam more than 180 names for only a 24-member government, An Nahar newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The number is expected to rise pending a final step by Salam in handing over the portfolios to the right people, An Nahar said.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margolo is due to arrive in Beirut on Tuesday eve for talks with senior Lebanese officials.

The FM will arrive in Lebanon via from Cyprus on the first stop of his regional tour, accompanied by a diplomatic delegation.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea condemned on Monday the kidnap of Syriac Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo Youhanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of Aleppo and Iskanderun Boulos al-Yaziji, describing the incident as "an act of terrorism."

"We promise to contact Arab officials to find, as soon as possible, a solution for this issue,” Geagea told Metropolitan of Aleppo and Iskanderun Boulos al-Yazij over a phone conversation.