The top judge at the International Court of Justice Nawaf Salam has been designated Lebanon’s next prime minister in a surprising turnaround for the crisis-ridden country.

Nawaf Salam, who has been designated as the new Prime Minister of Lebanon, has resigned as a member of the International Court of Justice, said the ICJ on Tuesday.

Nawaf Salam, the president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, has been named as Lebanon's new prime minister. Two thirds of the 128 members of parliament nominated the 71-year-old judge for the post - reserved for a Sunni Muslim under a sectarian power sharing system - during consultations with newly elected President Joseph Aoun.

A Ugandan judge who has sided with Israel against accusations of genocide in Gaza is poised to become president of the top UN court hearing the case. The International Court of Justice has a vacancy to fill after its president Nawaf Salam was appointed Prime Minister of Lebanon late on Monday.

Lebanon's Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam has called for a new chapter in the country "rooted in justice, security, progress and opportunities" in his maiden speech. However, Mr Salam gave up his position as president of the International Court of Justice and arrived in Beirut on Tuesday morning,

President Joseph Aoun summoned jurist Nawaf Salam on Monday to designate him as Lebanon's prime minister, after a majority of Lebanese lawmakers nominated him for the post.