Parliament on Tuesday started debating the new government's policy statement, with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam voicing commitment to extending the state's sovereignty across Lebanon, stressing that only the country’s armed forces should defend the nation in case of war.

The European Union and Samir Kassir Foundation launched Tuesday the 20th edition of the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press.

The award, which has been granted by the European Union since 2006, honors the Lebanese journalist and writer Samir Kassir, who was assassinated in 2005. The competition for the award has attracted since its creation more than 3,600 candidates from the Middle East, the Gulf and North Africa and 55 journalists have won the award so far.

The Free Patriotic Movement will likely withhold confidence from the government, MP Salim Aoun said Monday in a radio interview, as Parliament is set to meet on Tuesday and Wednesday for a vote of confidence in the new government formed by PM-designate Nawaf Salam.

"The statements are good, but the experience with PM Nawaf Salam's line-up was not promising," MP Aoun said.

Delegations were flocking Monday to the southern town of Deir Qanoun al-Nahr in the Tyre district for the funeral and burial of slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hasham Safieddine, who was killed four days after succeeding Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as Hezbollah’s secretary-general.

Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said from Beirut that Iran “will support any decision made unanimously by the Lebanese government and people and the Lebanese resistance (Hezbollah).”

Hezbollah leader Sheikh Naim Qassem said the group would keep following the path of slain chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Sunday during a televised speech broadcast at his massive funeral on the outskirts of Beirut.

"We will uphold trust and walk on this path, we will uphold your will," Qassem said referring to Nasrallah, adding: "you are still with us: your... path and struggle live within us" and "I am loyal to the legacy Nasrallah".

Lebanese state media reported Sunday Israeli planes flying at a very low altitude over Beirut, with AFP journalists hearing the rumbling noise while tens of thousands attended Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah's funeral near the capital.

Lebanese state media reported Israeli strikes Sunday about 10 kilometers from the southern border as mourners converged in Beirut for the massive funeral of the group's slain leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

"Hostile aircraft launched two raids targeting the area between Qleileh and Sammaaiyah in the Tyre district," the official National News Agency said.

Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar said Friday that the country’s security chiefs have reviewed the measures that will be taken on Sunday during the funeral of slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam held talks Friday at the Grand Serail with a delegation from the U.S. Congress led by Representative Darrell Issa, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson.