hariri

"I think everybody at a certain point will move forward to have peace. We are tired."

Some Lebanese, including victims of the attack who waited 15 years for a verdict, voiced disbelief at the acquittal of three other Hezbollah members.

Three Hezbollah officials acquitted, doubt regarding dead official

The Special Tribunal for Lebanon (the STL) was voted into existence by the UN Security Council in 2007 and formally established in 2009.

Hezbollah, which is both a political party in Lebanon’s government and a heavily armed militia, denies any role in Hariri’s killing.

"With my own eyes, I saw people eating from the trash," he recalled. "We all support the resistance against Israel, but we are dying of hunger. One needs to eat in order to fight."

Sunni businessman Samir Khatib is seen as the frontrunner.

Soleimani was also sent to Iraq in October to help advise the government on the crackdown.

Lebanon's president Michel Aoun will hold binding consultations with members of parliament on Thursday to designate the country's next prime minister.