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.

The UN chief was due to meet with Lebanese officials, including members of the Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, during his two-day visit, the sources said.

He would also inspect UN troops in south Lebanon, they added.

The Lebanese parliament was due to hold a session on Saturday during which the UN chief was expected to deliver a speech that would tackle the tense situation in the Middle East.

His visit to Lebanon is part of a Middle East tour that will take him to in Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Syria. (dpa)