Nawaf Salam, who has been designated as the new Prime Minister of Lebanon, has resigned as a member of the International Court of Justice, said the ICJ on Tuesday.

The selection of Mr. Salam was seen as a blow to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group and political party that has acted as the real power in Lebanon for decades.

Lebanon's Prime Minister-desgnate Nawaf Salam began non-binding parliamentary consultations on Wednesday to form his government, in discussions pivotal to the country's path forward. The talks are a preliminary step towards the establishment of an administration capable of addressing the myriad challenges facing Lebanon,

The head of an American organisation focused on hostage releases said on Monday he believes U.S. journalist Austin Tice was still being held in Syria by people loyal to toppled leader Bashar al-Assad.

Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday his hands were "extended to everyone", in a gesture to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group that accused opponents of seeking to exclude it by nominating him for the post.

Lebanon's new prime minister, Nawaf Salam, called Tuesday for “serious” work to implement all points of the cessation of hostilities with Israel and acknowledged that post-war reconstruction will be one of the main challenges he will face during his term.