Following are summaries of some of the main stories in a selection of Lebanese newspapers Monday. The Daily Star cannot vouch for the accuracy of these reports.

An-Nahar: Israeli gnawing tops government priorities upon launch

Hariri responds tomorrow on 'compromises'

Feltman denies Beirut visit

The government, which is set to hold its first meeting Thursday, is likely to include the maritime borders issue [which has turned into a confrontation between Lebanon and Israel] on its agenda after this reality which was imposed by Israel prompted Lebanese mobilization at the ministerial and diplomatic levels.

Diplomatic sources told An-Nahar that  that this issue would not be a reason for a split among the Lebanese given that the current government of Prime Minister Najib Mikati will carry the path of the previous Cabinet with lots of complaints to the United Nations.

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Minister Adnan Mansour denied that Lebanon had received an Israeli warning via Washington on the issue of the maritime borders. Mansour told An-Nahar: "We are in the process of drawing up a fixed map and the adoption of a clear map to affirm Lebanon’s rights in the exclusive economic zone."

An-Nahar has learned that former Prime Minister Saad Hariri will define the course of negotiations that led to the fall of his Cabinet following March 8’s disapproval of the Qatar-Turkey agreement.

Meanwhile, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Jeffrey Feltman, in a telephone call conducted from Washington, denied he had plans to visit Lebanon at this time.

As-Safir: A new conflict chapter opens ... Lebanon readies to face [Israeli] aggression

Israel violates border, Lebanese maritime rights

A new phase of the conflict on oil and gas wells between Lebanon and Israel began Sunday in the disputed areas within the maritime economic borders after the Jewish state approved in a meeting yesterday a map of its proposed maritime borders, in contravention of its rights.

This approval came in the context of the ongoing diplomatic battle with Lebanon on the maritime border, which extends from Ras Naqoura to the economic borders of Cyprus.

In light of this development, Energy and Water Minister Jibran Bassil is expected Monday to write a memo to the president and the prime minister requesting the inclusion of the issue of Lebanon’s maritime border on the Cabinet’s agenda for the next meeting of the government.

Al-Mustaqbal: Siniora meets Saud al-Faisal ... Hezbollah trade-off between indictment and so-called "false witnesses"

“Hezbollah’s regime” kick- starts its first working week after the return of Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Najib Mikati from their European vacation with all eyes turned to Cabinet’s first session Thursday to find out the extent of Mikati’s verbal commitments in the absence of non-commitment by Hezbollah ministers and party members to the text of the government’s policy statement over the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

Meanwhile, Future parliamentary bloc leader Fouad Siniora discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the region Sunday with Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal.

Interior Minister Marwan Charbel said  that "the government will not interfere in the work of the office of the state prosecutor and therefore arresting the suspects is not a government matter."

Ad-Diyar: Gradual [public service] appointments as PSP warns against  "malicious" [acts]

Opposition moves toward boycott of Sleiman’s call for dialogue

Prime Minister Najib Mikati’s government assumes its functions Monday and readies for its first Cabinet meeting Thursday with 69 items on the agenda, most notably the extension of the mandate of  Riad Salameh, Lebanon’s Central Bank governor, the  appointment of Walid Salman as the Lebanese Army Chief of Staff and a new director general for the Presidential Palace. Energy Minister Jibran Bassil is working on including the oil dispute with Israel on the agenda.

Sources following up on the appointments said they would include 400 civil service posts, including 330 to be appointed on the boards of departments,.

However, the sources said the appointments would be made in batches.

In this respect, the Progressive Socialist Party, through its Minister Wael Abou Faour, took a remarkable position rejecting any malicious act in appointments.

Abu Faour spoke about a mechanism to be adopted in this regard that will take into account specific criteria.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Mikati began preparing for an Arab tour that kicks off in Syria with the aim of ascertaining the government's position, which supports Arab unity.

On the other hand, senior March 14 sources affirmed the coalition's rejection to an attempt by President Michel Sleiman to resume national dialogue sessions, saying that nothing has changed and that recent experiences have proven that the president is totally biased toward the other team [March 8] and is a party in the conflict and therefore there is no need for dialogue because it will not produce anything.