Lebanese PM resigns following public outrage over last week’s Beirut blast

Lebanon’s Prime Minister Hassan Diab has resigned from his post in the wake of major blast in Beirut that has triggered public outrage. In a brief televised speech after three of his ministers resigned, Diab said he is taking a step back so he can stand with the people and fight the battle for change alongside them.

The Prime Minister’s resignation follows a weekend of anti-government protests after the August 4 explosion in Beirut’s port that decimated the facility and caused widespread destruction, killing more than 160 people and injured about six thousands.

Diab’s government was formed in January this year after his predecessor, Saad Hariri, stepped down in October last year in response to the demonstrations. It took months of bickering among the leadership factions before they settled on Diab.

President Michel Aoun has accepted the resignation of the Diab government and asked it to stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new cabinet is formed. French President Emmanuel Macron hosted an international donors’ conference on Sunday. US President Donald Trump and 15 other heads of state were present, pledging nearly 300 million dollars in aid to Lebanon.