The Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz replied to Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s latest remarks saying that Lebanon is going to “tremble,” and Hizbulah will pay a “terrible price" if Israel is forced to enter a military confrontation.

Relatives of the Beirut port blast victims held a protest Thursday and blocked traffic with burning tires outside the Palace of Justice in Beirut after the lead judicial investigator probing the case was removed by the Court of Cassation.

“The blood of our martyrs is still on the ground, so do not turn us into killers! We are willing to take our right with our hand and we will start escalating as of tonight,” a spokesman for the families said.

Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Thursday stressed that Bkirki will not bow in the face of “threats,” in an apparent reference to the latest remarks by Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah about the “internationalization” of the Lebanese crisis.

Rights defenders condemned a "mockery of justice" after a Lebanese court Thursday removed the judge leading a probe into the massive blast at Beirut's port last August.

In a Lebanese textile workshop, Umm Omar recalled making school uniforms and holiday garments -- before surging coronavirus cases forced her into the grim business of body bags.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, met Thursday morning in Doha with Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on the occasion of his visit to the Gulf country, Qatar’s news agency said.

The public prosecutor’s office on Thursday approved a request for the release of two Beirut port officials held in connection with the catastrophic August 4 explosion.

The Court of Cassation, headed by Judge Jamal Hajjar, decided to recuse Judge Fadi Sawwan from investigation into the Beirut port blast case, the National News Agency reported Thursday.

Speaker Nabih Berri discussed with caretaker Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi via a phone call on Thursday the need to stage the parliamentary by-elections to fill vacant parliament seats as stipulated by Article 41 in the Constitution.

The lead investigator into the Beirut port blast Judge Fadi Sawwan on Thursday postponed until Tuesday the questioning session of former transport minister Youssef Fenianos.

On Wednesday, Sawwan had issued an arrest warrant for Fenianos on charges of negligence leading to the devastating explosion, TV networks had said.