Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has warned against stirring clashes between security agencies in connection with the latest standoff over the enforcement of the subpoena issued against Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh.

“Despite the circumstances that Lebanon is going through, there is something that is very good, which is security, but creating problems between security agencies is something very dangerous and will certainly affect the negotiations with the International Monetary Fund,” Berri said in an interview with Egypt's al-Ahram newspaper.

Once the economy's crown jewel, Lebanon's banks are shutting branches and laying off employees in droves, resizing to the bleak reality of a crisis they are widely blamed for.

Before the onset in 2019 of a financial collapse deemed one of the world's worst since the 1850s by the World Bank, the small country had an oversized but prosperous banking sector.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Saturday criticized Hizbullah for sending the ‘Hassan’ drone deep into Israel, saying such a move pushes Lebanon into “impending dangers.”

“The Lebanon we want is not the Lebanon of drones and it shameful to push Lebanon into impending dangers as is happening today,” Geagea said at a ceremony to announce the re-nomination of MP Pierre Bou Assi for one of the Maronite seats in Baabda.

Two Israeli warplanes overflew Beirut and its suburbs at a very low altitude in a mock raid on Friday, minutes after Hizbullah claimed responsibility for a drone that overflew northern Israel for 40 minutes.

The buzzing of the fighter jets jolted residents, rattled windows and set off some car alarms.

The main commercial banks in Lebanon have warned the relevant officials that they would shut down their operations and that their CEOs would leave Lebanon should Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh be arrested, informed sources said.

President Michel Aoun reiterated Friday that the parliamentary elections will be held on time on May 15 as he signed a decree referring to parliament a draft law for earmarking a budget for the polls in the 2022 state budget.

Aoun hoped parliament will approve the draft law as soon as possible to enable the Interior Ministry to continue the necessary preparations for the elections.

Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib said "we do not want another civil war," commenting on the Gulf demanding Lebanon to implement the U.N. resolution 1559.

The minister told al-Joumhouria newspaper, in remarks published Friday, that “all U.N. resolutions need a mechanism beyond Lebanon's capability."

Israel said Friday that it fired an anti-aircraft missile and scrambled warplanes and military helicopters after a small drone crossed from Lebanon into Israeli territory.

In an English-language tweet, the Israeli army described the drone as a “radio-controlled aircraft.”

Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah gave his approval to the Lebanese government to proceed with the demarcation negotiations, Israeli newspaper Haaretz said.

According to the Israeli daily, international representatives have met with Lebanese counterparts close to Hizbullah in the recent weeks to reach an agreement.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today has announced the appointment of Ted Chaiban of Lebanon as Global Lead Coordinator for COVID-19 Vaccine Country-Readiness and Delivery, at the level of Assistant Secretary-General, in UNICEF.

"Chaiban will lead a senior inter-agency team to ensure an effective global response to the pandemic, supporting COVID vaccine country-readiness and delivery," the U.N. said.