Beirut - Arab League mediators brokered a deal Thursday to end Lebanon's worst internal fighting since the civil war, announcing that the country's rivals are to meet in Doha on Friday. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister said "neither Shiites, nor Sunnis nor Christians can control Lebanon."
Sheikh Hamad said the Lebanese factions should heal the nation's wounds and end the crisis, and added that Saudi Arabia and Syria supported the agreement.
He further said he expected the election of a Lebanese president to be carried out in days.
The Lebanese leaders would also discuss the concept of a new cabinet, Sheikh Hamad said.
Making the statement during a press conference in the capital, Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani added that he expected the situation in Lebanon to return to what it was before the recent violence.
The deal, brokered after two days of talks, includes the lifting of a Hezbollah-led blockade on Beirut's sea- and airports, the end of armed presence in the streets and a pledge not to use weapons to settle domestic political differences.
Shortly after the Arab delegation press conference, bulldozers started opening roads leading to Beirut airport, which was closed last Wednesday.
At least 82 people were killed in the fighting, triggered by government decisions last week to ban the Iranian-backed Hezbollah's communications network and sack Beirut's airport security chief, who is close to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah said the moves were a declaration of war and briefly seized control of Muslim areas of the capital.
On Wednesday the cabinet of Prime Minister Fouad Seniora cancelled the two measures, meeting one of Hezbollah's demands and easing tensions in the Lebanese capital. Hezbollah said the government's climbdown was a "natural way out" of the crisis.
"We want to return to a settlement which leads, in the end, to there being neither victor nor vanquished," Sheikh Naeem Kassem, Hezbollah's deputy secretary general, said after meeting the Arab League delegation.
"We should solve the issue inside the Lebanese arena and are ready for dialogue to end the Lebanese crisis," said Kassem.
"We want dialogue to save Lebanon's independence, integrity and institutions," he said.
He praised the Lebanese army and vowed that Hezbollah arms would not be used internally.
"No one should ever think in this country that he can rule the country alone," Kassem told reporters.
Kassem said Hezbollah recognizes "the other" and demanded that the other party to the conflict recognize the Shiite group.
"Revoking the two government decisions was the key to returning to the previous status quo," Kassem said.
"We want to work hand in hand in order to build Lebanon. Neither American intervention nor external meddling is in the interest of Lebanon," Kassem added.
He stressed that Hezbollah backed the election of Lebanese army commander Michel Suleiman as president of the country.
The Arab delegation held talks Thursday with Hezbollah leaders in Beirut's southern suburbs along with House Speaker Nabih Berri and Premier Fouad Seniora.
The delegation's talks focused on the dispute over how to share power in the cabinet and the details of a new parliamentary election law.
The dispute is seen as a struggle for influence between Syria, which backs the opposition, and Saudi Arabia, which supports the ruling coalition.
In the meantime, Lebanese army troops were seen removing debris in Beirut streets.
Lebanon's national carrier Middle East Airlines (MEA) said Thursday its planes would start landing at Beirut's airport at midnight Thursday.
