Two tweets posted late Thursday by the head of the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP), Walid Jumblatt, and Lebanese Democratic Party (LDP) chief MP Talal Arslan put obstacles to efforts exerted to end a five-week crisis that has paralyzed the Lebanese government. Despite the setback, Lebanese officials continued deliberations to end the stalemate by seeking to hold a cabinet session ahead of Eid al-Adha holiday. Prime Minister Saad Hariri held extensive talks with several officials, including President Michel Aoun and General Security Chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim at the Baabda palace. But an optimism expressed by Hariri after the meeting turned the atmosphere grim after the tweets made by Jumblatt and Arslan. “The case is not anymore related to whether a cabinet session is held or not. The question is whether an investigation would be conducted with those who committed the Basateen (Qabr Shamoun) incident… because the President and those who stand behind him, want revenge,” Jumblatt wrote in his tweet posted late Thursday. Arslan said in response: “It is now clear that some parties do not want a court or a trial... Any initiative that lacks a clear position from the assassination attempt of minister (Saleh) el-Gharib, is completely rejected.” On June 30, two aids of Gharib, who is a member of Arslan’s party, were killed when his convoy came under fire in the Aley village of Qabr Shamoun. The LDF has accused PSP members of involvement. The incident was referred last month to the Military Court, which will examine the case and file lawsuits against those implicated in the shooting. But Arslan insists on referring it to the Judicial Council, causing a cabinet deadlock. Several mediation attempts have failed this week after the PSP accused the Free Patriotic Movement of putting pressure on judges tasked with investigating the shooting to find the PSP guilty of attempting to assassinate the Druze minister.