Beirut, Lebanon ? Lebanon’s political crisis worsened Friday with government ministers fearing for their lives after the murder of one of their own, businesses on strike and Hezbollah renewing threats of protests.

Beirut was tense after several hundred supporters of the pro-Syrian Hezbollah briefly took to the streets Thursday night, burning tires and blocking the road to the airport until the Islamic militant group’s leader ordered them home.

Tuesday’s assassination of Interior Minister Pierre Gemayel, an anti-Syrian Christian leader, has added to Lebanon’s political uncertainty. It also has reignited anger at Syria, which dominated Lebanon for nearly three decades but was forced to withdraw its troops last year after accusations it was behind former prime minister Rafik Hariri’s killing.

The U.S.-backed government of Prime Minister Fuad Saniora moved ahead with an issue that was likely to anger Hezbollah. The Cabinet was due to meet today to give its final approval to a U.N.-created international court to try suspects in the February 2005 killing of Hariri.

In a gesture toward the government and the anti-Syrian majority in parliament – which regard the U.N. court as a priority – Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah and parliament speaker Amal leader Nabih Berri said they supported creation of the tribunal.