The U.N. special coordinator for the peace process has called for the rapid formation of a government in Lebanon, saying that almost four months after Premier-designate Najib Miqati’s nomination, consultations haven’t led to a deal.

Robert Serry told the Security Council on Thursday that with the exception of the grave incident in Maroun al-Ras on May 15, the overall situation in the area of operations of UNIFIL has remained generally stable over the past month.

The leadership of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon and several European countries that have contingents in the peacekeeping force are reportedly mulling ways to avoid confrontations similar to last Sunday’s clashes between Israel and demonstrators in the border town of Maroun al-Ras.

Western diplomatic sources told pan-Arab daily al-Hayat in remarks published Thursday that the UNIFIL leadership and the European countries were discussing with high-ranking Lebanese officials ways to keep the mission of the peacekeepers intact.

Speaker Nabih Berri described on Tuesday the clashes at Maroun al-Ras as an “Israeli massacre in the South.”

He said after holding talks with United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon Commander General Alberto Asarta: “The massacre is a major violation of U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 and a threat to the security and stability of the region.”

Thousands of Palestinians are expected to march to southern Lebanon on Sunday in what Fatah commander Munir Maqdah said would be a “peaceful” rally marking the Palestinian "Nakba Day."

The protestors will mark the 63rd anniversary of the Nakba, or catastrophe, when Palestinians were expelled from their land in 1948 following Israel's establishment.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon delivered 106 vehicles and related spare parts to the Lebanese army at a ceremony on Thursday at UNIFIL’s Headquarters in Naqoura.

The delivery of the U.N.-owned vehicles, the third batch in little over a year, is part of UNIFIL’s efforts to support the Lebanese army in line with U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 and to buttress the operational capabilities of its strategic partner in southern Lebanon, the international force said in a statement.

The spokesman for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon Neeraj Singh stressed on Friday the close cooperation between the Lebanese army and international troops in order to implement U.N. Security Council resolution 1701.

He said that the army holds the main responsibility of maintaining security, the laws, and order in the area.

Lebanon is unlikely to be targeted in retaliatory attacks over al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden’s killing, said circles close to the March 8 camp.

They told the Kuwaiti al-Rai newspaper that even the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon may not be targeted.

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon denied on Saturday media reports that peacekeepers had carried out a joint operation with security forces in Rashaya al-Fekhar in search for the kidnapped Estonian tourists.

“UNIFIL does not carry out any operation outside its area of operations that falls south of the Litani river,” UNIFIL spokesman Neeraj Singh said in remarks carried by the state-run National News Agency.

U.S. Special Middle East Peace Envoy's assistant, Frederick Hoff, paid a quick visit to Beirut on Thursday during which he met with a delegation from the army command to discuss matters related to the Lebanese-Israeli maritime border and the security situation in southern Lebanon, reported the daily An Nahar Friday.

The military delegation informed him that Lebanon is entitled to demarcate its maritime border, and therefore it has no intention to relinquish this right, said As Safir on Friday.

The Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon carried out a combined live firing exercise on Thursday.

The exercise was conducted by the UNIFIL Force Commander Reserve (FCR) and Lebanese army artillery and infantry units.