Beirut (Lebanon), Jan. 23 : A former Guantanamo Bay detainee freed by the United States, has become the deputy leader of Al Qaeda's Yemeni branch.

Saudi militant, Said Ali al-Shihri, is suspected of involvement in a deadly bombing of the United States Embassy in Yemen's capital, Sana, in September. He was released to Saudi Arabia in 2007 and passed through a Saudi rehabilitation program for former jihadists before resurfacing with Al Qaeda in Yemen.

Beirut - A Hamas representative in Lebanon, Osama Hamdan said Saturday that even if Israel approves a unilateral ceasefire, Hamas' resistance will continue.

"As long as Gaza is occupied by Zionist soldiers the confrontations will continue even if Israel approves a unilateral ceasefire," Hamdan told Deustche Presse-Agentur dpa by phone.

"There is a plot to change the course of the Egyptian proposal for a truce because the unilateral ceasefire does not call for an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza," he said.

Beirut  - United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon arrived in Beirut late Friday as part of his Middle East tour to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip.

Ban landed amid heavy security at Beirut International Airport. He was scheduled to meet Lebanese President Michel Suleiman, premier Fouad Seniora and House Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday.

He will also deliver a speech at the Lebanese Parliament, during which he will address the Israeli offensive in Gaza. Ban will then head to south Lebanon to visit the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.

Beirut - Lebanese Christian MP Michel Aoun, a close ally of Islamist movement Hezbollah said Thursday he will not meet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during his visit to Lebanon in protest what he called the UN's "silence" on Gaza.

"The fighting must stop and the UN should help in this regard," Aoun was quoted by Lebanese radio as saying.

The UN chief is scheduled to pay a visit to Lebanon on Friday and to deliver a speech in parliament during his two-day visit.

Beirut  - Lebanese villagers living in areas adjacent to the Israeli border received voice messages on their local telephone lines warning them against facilitating the movements of Palestinian militants to launch rocket attacks on Israel, Lebanese radio said Wednesday.

The recorded voice messages which were from "the state of Israel" addressed "the residents of South Lebanon."

"Do not cooperate with the Palestinians," the voice messages said.

Beirut - UN Secretary General Ban ki-moon plans to visit Lebanon on Friday to discuss the current situation in Gaza and the Middle East region, Lebanese government sources said.