Hamas and Islamic Jihad members have received training in Lebanon, Syria and Iran and returned to the Gaza strip to train other fighters, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

The newspaper said that Iranian and Syrian experts have also improved the fighting capabilities of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants as part of an operation to restructure the force of Palestinian factions that was destroyed during Israel's last aggression on Gaza.

Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir on Thursday called in his Christmas message on the various Lebanese sides to "sacrifice" for Lebanon.

"The holidays, as every year, arrived amidst a split among Lebanese and the faithful cannot hide their concerns about their country .They are split," Sfeir said in the message.

Three men, including two Lebanese, were found guilty Thursday of plotting to attack a Sydney army base with high-powered weapons and kill as many people as possible to further the cause of Islam.

The Supreme Court in Melbourne heard that the men, who have been linked with Islamic extremists in Somalia, planned to continue their rampage at Sydney's Holsworthy army barracks until they were killed or captured.

A high-ranking U.S. official has denied that Washington was informed about a Saudi-Syrian deal over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and stressed the court will continue to operate despite Hizbullah's threats.

"Saudi officials have told us that they were absolutely committed to building a positive relationship between Lebanon and Syria based on mutual respect and non-interference of any side in the other party's internal affairs," the official told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Thursday.

State Minister Adnan Sayyed Hussein confirmed that a settlement over the cabinet crisis would be reached soon and Saudi-Syrian efforts would have positive results.

He told al-Liwaa daily in remarks published Thursday that President Michel Suleiman will remain a consensus head of state and his camp will continue to seek for calm and stability.

The Arab American Institute and the American Task Force for Lebanon said following a meeting between a group of Lebanese Americans and Obama administration officials that Lebanon must have stability and justice.

"We support the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL), and reject the notion that Lebanon must choose between stability and justice," said a statement released by AAI and ATFL on Tuesday.

Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's remarks on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon showed different stances between Tehran and Damascus from the court, official French sources told pan-Arab daily Asharq al-Awsat.

Khamenei's dismissal as "null and void" imminent rulings by the tribunal, confirmed France's belief that despite their strategic alliance, Iran and Syria have different agendas on Lebanon, the source said.

All eight people arrested over the lynching of a murder suspect by an angry mob in the village of Ketermaya in April have been released, al-Akhbar daily reported Thursday.

The newspaper said that seven suspects were released on different stages and the last was set free several days ago.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has said that his website will reveal more information on the 2006 war between Israel and Hizbullah and the assassination of Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh.

In an interview with al-Jazeera Arab satellite network, Assange said that what has been published on Israel till now constitutes just "1-2%" of the information.

Fatah commander in Lebanon Munir Maqdah on Thursday uncovered the mass departure of Palestinian groups from the Ain el-Hilweh refugee camp to Europe.

He told the Voice of Lebanon radio station that some members of these groups, however, were arrested and handed over to Lebanese authorities.