"UNIFIL considers the incident a serious violation of UN resolution 1701, especially a violation of the provision which prohibits unauthorized weapons in the area of operations between Litani River and the blue line," UNIFIL spokeswoman Yasmine Bouziane was quoted as saying

UN resolution 1701 which ended the 34-day devastating war between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite armed group Hezbollah, prohibited the presence of arms and armed element mainly held by Hezbollah in the region south of Litani River until the blue line on the boarders with Israel, which should be under Lebanese army and UNIFIL control.

A UNIFIL statement said that UNIFIL commander Gen. Claudio Graziano met Wednesday with Prime Minister-Designate Saad Hariri and Lebanese army commander Gen. Jean Kahwaji, and informed them on the investigations which were carried out by UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in the area where the explosions occurred.

Israel accused Hezbollah of rearming in the former battlegrounds and secretly stockpiling rockets and other arms in southern Lebanon, citing as proof the explosion of the suspected cache in Kirbit Silim

An Israeli official described the site as "one of dozens of ammunition and rocket storage (sites) in south Lebanon".

"The Lebanese army let Hezbollah manage this event and (did) not help UNIFIL do its job in the area",The Israeli official said

"Hezbollah quickly cordoned off the blast site and took items away," the Israeli official added.

Hezbollah had no comment on the incident.

Thursday

11: pm LBC TV: Kataeb MP Sami Gemayel criticized Jumblatt's recent statements as provocative and called on him to stop the provocations . He expressed concern about the negative effect of Jumblatt's statements on March 14

09:45 pm The Israeli foreign ministry released a statement on Thursday demanding tougher action by United Nations peacekeepers against Hezbollah arms stockpiles following blasts in south Lebanon.

8:56 pm Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met with Hajj Hussein Khalil, political advisor to Hezbollah’s secretary general, Thursday night at Hariri’s residence

07:34pm Kouchner says France will recognize Ahmadinejad’s re-election

7:20pm VOL: President Suleiman will attend tonight's Caracalla performance at the Baalbek International Festival.

7:05pm Al-Markaziya: UNIFIL submitted a film to the United Nations documenting Tuesday's explosion of a depot in south Lebanon.

7:00pm Future News: One of the men involved in al-Qaroun skirmish turned himself in and the army is still looking for the others.

06:31pm Second round of official exams begins August 10

06:28pm MP Assem Aaraji: Opposition unclear on cabinet demands

4:30pm Health Minister Khalifeh: Lebanon registered 70 swine flu cases, and research affirms infected are not in serious condition .

04:21pm Former president Gemayel: No alliance can protect Lebanon if it excludes Christians

2:30 pm Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sultanov: Russia is against the politicization of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and we will not interfere in the process of government formation.

02:11pm MP Antoine Zahra : Formula 16 -10 -4 reflects the results of the elections and any other formula will add to the difficulties of the PM designate in forming the cabinet. This formula means ( 16 seats for the majority , 10 for the minority and 4 for the president in the new cabinet)

02:05 pm Al-Mustaqbal newspaper: Democratic Left Movement leader Elias Atallah implicitly accused the opposition of planning to “split up the March 14 alliance, since it guarantees Lebanon’s independence.” Atallah also emphasized the need to have an honest debate among the March 14 parties to reach common ground on all important issues

02:00 pm Al-Hayat newspaper: Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh said on Thursday that Lebanon overcame the global financial crisis due to two factors.
1- The calm atmosphere in which the 2009 Lebanese parliamentary elections were held anad acceptance of results 2- Appointing Future Movement leader MP Saad Hariri as the new prime minister.

1:50pm Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sultanov meets PM-designate Saaf Hariri in Beirut.

01:45 pm Director of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Gulam Reza Agazada resigns

01:45 pm As-Shabab newspaper : Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblatt called for adopting a “new political formula,” since Lebanon can no longer afford to continue with “the sharp division between the March 14 alliance and the March 8 coalition.”

1:20pm The National Bloc Party held its normal meeting chaired by party leader Carlos Edde and issued a statement considering Hezbollah arms to constitute a danger to civilians adding that its presence south of the Litani River violates UNSC 1701.

1:17pm U.S. ambassador Michele Sison affirmed the ongoing American partnership with the Internal Security Forces while placing the founding stone for a new U.S. funded ISF building in Warwar.

1:15pm Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea told VOL Radio: What caught my attention in Jumblatt’s interview yesterday was his saying that the Muslim arena is the foundation. This is not true the political arena is national and not religious.

12:17pm Phalange leader Amin Gemayel discussed Lebanese affairs and general developments with EU ambassador Patrick Laurant.

12:15pm President Michel Suleiman received Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov in Baabda palace. Discussions focused on bilateral relations and general developments.

11:29 Hamza Qassem al-Kherfen was killed during a gunfight in the town of al-Qaroun in the Western Bekaa.

11:02v Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov met with Hezbollah MP Mohammed Raad in parliament.

11:00 Telecommunications Minister Jebran Bassil to LBC: We can’t say that all mobile communications ended yesterday. There was a failure in one company in the north. The mobile operators should be the ones taking responsibility.

10:35 An Nahar : French diplomatic sources said that the demands and conditions by the opposition for cabinet formation contradicts the results of the June 7 parliamentary elections which March 8 alliance accepted... All March 8 leaders admitted defeat

10:30 : Former MP Ghattas Khoury told LBC: I apologize to Hariri for putting him in a difficult situation during the elections. I have no disagreement with Jumblatt. The role of independents should have been preserved during the polls.

9:15 Gunmen intercepted Sami Assaad Rizk on the Bkirki road, stole his BMW X5 and sped away.

9:13 Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Sultanov arrived in Beirut at dawn for a two-day visit. He will later travel to Syria to meet Syrian officials

8:40 MP Youssef Khalil told VOL: We can expect to have a cabinet any minute and even before month’s end. There are no serious Lebanese demands that are hindering the government formation process.

8:35 Fares Soueid told VOL: I am not optimistic about cabinet formation, which would take a longer time. I am afraid that Hezbollah would continue with its demands.

7:50am MP Robert Ghanem told VOL: The constitution doesn’t set a timeframe for a caretaking cabinet and for the PM-designate to form a government.

7:42am MP Ziad al-Qadiri told VOL: There is optimism that cabinet formation is nearing. But nothing is announced yet. The ball is in the March 8 alliance’s court. Would it drop demands for veto power?

7:32am MP Michel Moussa told VOL: We are still within the normal timeframe for cabinet formation. Contacts show that there are improvements in the negotiations.

7:30am MP Oqab Saqr told VOL: The PM-designate received a semi-official answer from the March 8 forces that they are not insisting on veto power and discussion should focus on 16+10+4 which means there would be a balancing majority and an opposition without veto

07:11 Asharq al-Awsat : U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Jeffrey Feltman said relations with Syria are getting out of the "deep freeze" but there is disagreement over Hezbollah ; while Syria defends Hezbollah, Washington still considers it a "terrorist organization."

07:06 President Suleiman returned from Sharm El-Sheikh last evening

07:05 El Shab : including Gebran Basil in the new cabinet might solve the problem with General Michel Aoun

07:00 Khreis told Al Akhbar : the government formula of 15 -10- 5 has taken off ( This formula calls for 15 ministers for the majority , 10 for the minority and 5 for the president )

06:50 Qassem Hashem: Jumblatt wants Hariri to be the first to go to Syria to absorb some of the reactions of isolationism, before he himself goes

06:01 As Safir sources: Berri meant from setting the end of the month as a deadline for the formation of the government that the opposition is open, positive , serious, flexible and willing to facilitate the task of the PM elect

05:00 Jumblatt: The only goal for what I have put forward was to repair the damages of the sectarian conflicts of the past in Beirut and surrounding areas . There is , no justification for any other interpretations that are meaningless

04:48 Israeli official told "Reuters": the Lebanese army has allowed Hezbollah to manage the incident of Kirbit Silim and did not allow the peacekeeping force to do its work in the region

04:46 UNIFIL: Kirbit Silim incident is a serious breach of resolution 1701 and, especially a violation of the provision which prohibits unauthorized weapons in the area of operations between Litani River and the blue line

Wednesday

09:15 pm US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Wednesday urged Arab states to make immediate gestures toward Israel in a bid to improve prospects for Middle East peace.

06:45 pm Al-Awan Kuwaiti newspaper : MP Walid Jumblatt called for the revival of the coalition, composed of the Future Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party, Hezbollah and the Amal Movement, following the formation of the cabinet.

05:33pm President Suleiman: Lebanon has the right to defend itself against Israel’s threats. He condemned Israel's "rejection" of the Palestinian refugees' right to return to their homeland.

03:16pm LBC: Lebanon experiencing mobile network problems past three hours. ALFA and MTC technical teams resolving the issue

2:05pm PM-designate Saad Hariri arrived in parliament to meet with Berri.

1:47pm Military examining magistrate Rashid Mizher asked for the death penalty for Marwan Kamel al-Faqih, in the first ruling against those accused of spying for Israel.

1:39pm U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon said in a letter to Berri that he looks forward for stability and unity in Lebanon based on the Taef accord and international resolutions.

1:30pm Speaker Nabih Berri: Nothing prevents the new cabinet’s formation before end of this month. We are still within the normal timeframe to form the government.