BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday his hands were "extended to everyone", in a gesture to the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group that accused opponents of seeking to exclude it by nominating him for the post.

BEIRUT - Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday his hands are extended to everyone, in a gesture to the Iran-backed Hezbollah group that accused opponents of seeking to exclude it by nominating him for the post.

Salam said he was against exclusion and on the contrary supported unity. "This is my sincere call, and my hands are extended to everyone," he said. (Reporting by Clauda Tanios and Laila Bassam; Writing by Tom Perry;

Lebanon now has a new government in waiting for the first time in two years after Nawaf Salam was nominated for prime minister.

By Laila Bassam and Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) -Lebanese President Joseph Aoun summoned Nawaf Salam, head of the International Court of Justice, to designate him prime minister after most lawmakers nominated him on Monday,

Nawaf Salam, a seasoned diplomat and current ICJ president, has been appointed Lebanon's new prime minister. He faces a significant task of navigating the country through its ongoing economic crisis and political instability,