1. Wide of Lebanese Prime Minister's office

2. Various of meeting between Lebanese Prime Minister Faud Saniora and Abbas Zaki, Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) representative in Lebanon

3. Wide of meeting between Palestinian factions in Lebanon, Sunni Mufti Mohammed Kabini (with white headwear)

4. Mid of officials at meeting

5. Close of Hamas representative Osama Hamdan

6. Mid of Zaki and Kabini

7. Zaki at news conference

8. Mid of official

9. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Abbas Zaki, PLO representative in Lebanon

"We as Palestinians condemn this phenomenon (Fatah Islam) and we are boycotting them in all circumstances and we are seeking to find a coherent solution for the crisis in Nahr el-Bared. The coming days and hours will see a mutual agreement for an understanding based on the united position of the Palestinian factions that will lead to some procedures with the army to face this phenomenon with as least losses as possible."

10. Mid of news conference

11. Exterior High Shiite council building

12. Convoy carrying French Foreign minister Bernard Kouchner arriving

13. Kouchner greeting Shiite official, walking in

14. Various of meeting with Vice President of the High Shiite Council Abdul Amir Kabalan

15. SOUNDBITE: (French) Bernard Kouchner, French Foreign Minister:

"Don't make France responsible for your own problems, that's too easy. We are ready to stand by you as long as you talk of peace. And so, some are surprised that I'm not supporting enough one country in this region, or that I attack too much or that I'm not supporting enough one of this community or that of this country or that I'm attacking it too much. France is a fair force, and we have heavily supported a resolution that will be presented to the United Nations for a international tribunal so that those behind the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri can be bought to justice."

16. Convoy with Kouchner leaving

17. Exterior of the Lebanese Defence Minister's residence

18. Kouchner greeting Lebanese Defence Minister Elias Murr

19. SOUNDBITE (Arabic) Elias Murr, Lebanese Defence Minster

"Do not make a link between the ammunition and military hardware coming in now with the situation now. This military aid was supposed to come twelve days ago, it has been delayed, and is part of a three-year programme."

20. Cutaway of cameras

Diplomatic efforts continued on Friday in an attempt to resolve the current turmoil in Lebanon as sporadic gunfire exchanges punctured the lull in the fighting in the north of the country.

The Lebanese army continued to build up around the Nahr el-Bared camp near Tripoli , where hundreds of militants from the Fatah Islam group are believed to be entrenched amongst thousands of refugees.

Prime Minister Fuad Saniora who on Thursday vowed to wipe out al-Qaida-inspired Fatah Islam, met with Abbas Zaki, the principal Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) representative in Lebanon on Friday.

Zaki also met with the leaders of other Palestinian factions including Hamas representative Osama Hamdan, and Sunni Mufti Mohammed Kabini.

After the meeting Zaki repeated his strong condemnation of Fatah Islam.

"We are boycotting them in all circumstances and we are seeking to find a coherent solution for the crisis in Nahr el-Bared," he said.

"The coming days and hours will see a mutual agreement for an understanding based on the united position of the Palestinian factions that will lead to some procedures with the army to face this phenomenon with as least losses as possible."

New French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner continued talks with rival political factions on the country's deepening turmoil, meeting with Vice President of the High Shiite Council Abdul Amir Kabalan.

"Don't make France responsible for your own problems, that's too easy. We are ready to stand by you as long as you talk of peace," he said at a news conference after the meeting.

Kouchner then went on to meet with Lebanese Defence Minster, Elias Murr.

At the meeting Murr commented on the US military aid that earlier arrived after the United States said it will rush supplies to the Lebanese army battling Fatah Islam.

Although US officials said the military aid to Lebanon had been agreed to before the fighting broke out this week, the speedy shipment on Friday marked the first tangible US backing of the Lebanese authorities' fight with the militants.

"Do not make a link between the ammunition and military hardware coming in now with the situation now. This military aid was supposed to come twelve days ago, it has been delayed, and is part of a three-year programme," Murr said.

Activity on Friday morning in Nahr el-Bared appeared to indicate either a preparation to storm the camp, a maze of narrow streets and tightly packed residential buildings, or a tightening of the siege to force them to surrender.

More than half of the 31-thousand Palestinian civilians of the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp, mainly women and children, have fled but thousands still remain trapped inside.

The fighting in Lebanon, which erupted on Sunday when police raided suspected Fatah Islam hideouts in Tripoli while searching for men wanted in a bank robbery, has killed some 50 combatants and many civilians.

Storming the Nahr el-Bared camp could mean rough urban fighting for Lebanese troops and further death and destruction for the civilians inside.

It could also spark unrest in Lebanon's 11 other Palestinian refugee camps.

Although Palestinian factions have dissociated themselves from Fatah Islam, refugees in other camps, which are rife with armed groups, are angry over army bombardments that have partially destroyed Nahr el-Bared.