Lebanon has been mired since late 2019 in a deep economic and financial crisis, exacerbated by a political deadlock which intensified on Thursday when prime minister-designate Saad Hariri stepped down.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Thursday that PM-designate Saad Hariri's resignation was proof that "Lebanese officials are unable to find a way out of the crisis," accusing them of "cynical self-destruction."

A spokesman for the U.N. meanwhile described the development as regrettable, reiterating calls for a government capable of addressing the country's "numerous challenges" to be put together rapidly.

Resigned Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Thursday blamed President Michel Aoun for the failure to form a new government, as he announced that he would not nominate a successor for the PM post.

Pharmacies have announced an open-ended strike as of Friday over medicine shortages, “until the Ministry of Health approves the price indexes and provides protection for pharmacies.”

Pharmacists have been facing “daily harassments” that can be “life threatening” as a result of the shortage of medicines in pharmacies, the association of pharmacy owners stated.

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Thursday announced that he is quitting the government formation mission, following talks with President Michel Aoun in Baabda.

“I met with the President and we held consultations over the government. During the discussions, the President requested essential changes and we discussed the issue related to the vote of confidence and the issue of naming the two Christian ministers,” Hariri said after a 20-minute meeting.

President Michel Aoun was briefed Thursday by the French and American ambassadors to Beirut on the results of the meetings held in Riyadh with Saudi officials.

The American and French ambassadors handed Aoun a joint letter from the foreign ministers of the United States and France in which they affirmed their countries' concern with the Lebanese situation and stressed the need to form a new government.

The draft cabinet line-up presented by PM-designate Saad Hariri to President Michel Aoun “cannot be rejected, because it takes balances into consideration and is in line with the French initiative,” al-Mustaqbal Movement sources said.

“There is no use from waiting for more than 24 hours, seeing as we need a mission-driven government now,” the sources added, in remarks to Annahar newspaper.

Rights group Amnesty International has urged Lebanon to lift the immunity of officials summoned in the Beirut port blast probe, warning not doing so would be an "obstruction of justice."

Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri held a meeting Wednesday afternoon with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace.

Hariri -- who arrived in Baabda directly from a Cairo meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi -- said he submitted to Aoun a draft line-up for "a 24-minister cabinet of specialists" according to "the French initiative and Speaker Nabih Berri's initiative."

The Israeli army stated on Wednesday that “Hizbullah’s military depots are being planted in residential areas,” accusing Hizbullah of “using the Lebanese residents as a military tactic to implement its plans.”

The Israeli military claimed that “Hizbullah has an arms depot 25 meters away from a school in the Nabatieh town of Ebba.”