BEIRUT, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese resigned Interior Minister Hassan Al Sabaa announced on Thursday that he drew back his resignation from the government, the official NNA news agency reported.

    "In response to Prime Minister's (Fouad Seniora) appeal, and in view of the delicate political situation in Lebanon... I announce drawing back my resignation from the government," Sabaa was quoted as saying in a statement released Thursday night.

    Sabaa, a Sunni Muslim, resigned on Feb. 5 after thousands of angry Muslim protesters torched the Danish consulate in Beirut and damaged property in a Christian area in riots over cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad.

    Sabaa's decision came just one hour after Seniora called on the resigned ministers to go back on their resignation.

    Lebanon is facing a sharp political crisis after the Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel was shot dead in suburb of Beirut on Tuesday.

    Earlier this month, six pro-Syrian ministers resigned after the country's top leaders failed to reach agreement on the formation of a "national unity" government.

    The resignation of the six ministers and the death of Gemayel put the Lebanese government on the brink of collapse, as according to Lebanese law, the government dissolves automatically if eight ministers, or one third of the 24-member cabinet, quit the government.

    That would lead to the miscarriage of a newly approved draft to set up an international tribunal to try the suspects in the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri pushed by anti-Syrian prime minister Seniora.

    However, Seniora stood his ground despite the pressure.