Saudi King Abdullah stated on Tuesday that the kingdom is monitoring the situation in Lebanon with “deep concern” following the clashes in Tripoli, “especially since they targeted a main sect in the country.”

He said in a cable to President Michel Suleiman: “We look forward to you ending the crisis, which may spiral into sectarian strife.”

Hizbullah deputy chief Sheikh Naim Qassem contacted on Tuesday Grand Mufti Mohammed Rashid Qabbani to condole him over the murder of Sheikhs Ahmed Abdul Wahed and Mohammed Merheb.

He stressed the need to “support the army in its mission to protect civil peace and security in Lebanon.”

Prime Minister Najib Miqati stressed on Tuesday that he will continue on assuming his responsibilities.

He said before reporters in the northern city of Tripoli: “There are no problems in referring Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed and Mohammed Mereb’s murders to the judicial council.”

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel called on Tuesday for a state of political emergency to find an exit to the fighting between pro- and anti-Syrian regime supporters in Beirut and the northern city of Tripoli.

“Street battles will continue if politicians do not reach an agreement,” Charbel warned.

President Michel Suleiman stressed on Tuesday that there are no dangers in Lebanon that can prevent Arab nationals from visiting the country.

He said: “Lebanon is keen on the safety of the visiting nationals.”

Amnesty International urged the Lebanese authorities on Tuesday to launch an independent investigation rather than the one carried out by the army into the killing of Sheikh Ahmed Abdul Wahed.

The Sunni cleric and his companion Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Merheb were shot dead on Sunday at an army checkpoint in al-Kweikhat in the northern Akkar region.

The Israeli army’s deputy chief of staff, Maj.-Gen. Yair Naveh, expressed fears on Tuesday that the Syrian regime could transfer to Hizbullah advanced weaponry that it is still in control of.

"The missile, rocket and chemical capabilities are remarkably still under the control of the current regime," The Jerusalem Post quoted Naveh as telling a defense conference.

Judge Saqr Saqr decided on Tuesday to release Shadi al-Mawlawi after over a week in custody.

He declared upon his release that he was “wrongfully arrested for aiding Syrian refugees in Lebanon.”

Speaker Nabih Berri stressed on Tuesday that Lebanon would not yield to internal and external pressure to change its policy of dissociating itself form the Syrian crisis.

In remarks to Ad-Diyar newspaper, Berri expressed regret that four Gulf countries have advised their citizens not to travel to Lebanon, hoping that such a decision was not part of the pressure exerted on Lebanese officials to change their policies towards Syria.

The March 14 opposition coalition is planning to hold a large-scale meeting in an effort to end “the dictates of the Syrian regime” following deadly clashes that have left several people dead in Beirut and the northern port city of Tripoli.

Contacts have been made between the March 14 leaderships since the latest incidents erupted, An Nahar daily reported Tuesday.