“The committee members recognize Mr. Al Khatib’s distinct role and tireless efforts during the past five months presiding over the Coalition. In light of Mr. Al Khatib’s positive national and international efforts, the Presidential Committee will issue a letter of gratitude and appreciation on behalf of the political establishment. Meanwhile, the Presidential Office has designated Mr. George Sabra as the Acting President of the Syrian Coalition, with the cooperation and consultation of the remaining Presidential Committee members and vice presidents.”

Sabra, who until now led the Syrian National Council, will be the Coalition’s caretaker leader until at least May 10, when the Coalition is scheduled to meet for leadership elections, according to AFP.

Sabra has lived in Syria for most of his life and has been jailed many times for dissent. In October 2011, he fled to Paris to help form the post-uprising opposition.

Moaz Al-Khatib announced his resignation from the Syrian Coalition several weeks ago due to failure of international community to end the conflict in Syria.  Yesterday, on April 20, 2013, during the Friends of Syria conference, Mr. Moaz Al-Khatib confirmed his resignation, but added that he wishes to continue representing the local councils in Damascus, within the Coalition, once his resignation is accepted.

Meanwhile, at a press conference in Istanbul following his designation as interim opposition leader, Sabra denounced the Assad regime for the recent massacre outside of Damascus. Earlier, a watchdog group said that more than 100 people were found dead in a town near Damascus.

On Sunday, the main opposition National Coalition urged Hizbullah to immediately withdraw its forces from Syria  adding its involvement in Syria’s conflict could drag Lebanon and the region into the conflict.

Hitto , who will now be in charge of forming a government based inside Syria won 35 out of 48 votes cast by the Syrian National Coalition’s 63 active members after an hours-long meeting in Istanbul, according to Al Jazeera.

Hito, chosen from 12 candidates, is the second Kurdish opponent who took a senior official position in Syrian opposition after Abdulbasid Seyda.

Until last year, Hitto was a senior IT executive at a technology communications company in Texas.

Hito was born in Syrian capital in 1963, received an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University in 1994.

Hitto’s election follows two failed attempts to form interim governments due to a lack of consensus between the opposition.

The latest effort to set up a transitional government in the rebel-controlled areas comes after two years of bloody conflict in Syria.

Meanwhile in a related development, Lebanese President Michel Sleiman on Tuesday denounced as “unacceptable violation of Lebanese sovereignty” air raids carried out by Syrian warplanes against targets inside Lebanese territory.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland also condemned the incident saying that it “constitutes a significant escalation in the violations of Lebanese sovereignty that the Syrian regime has been guilty of. These kinds of violations of sovereignty are absolutely unacceptable.”

France also said on Monday President Bashar al-Assad’s forces had seriously violated the sovereignty of Lebanon.

Syria’s main opposition group said twelve candidates are running for interim prime minister of a government to rule rebel-controlled areas in Syria, the associated Press reported.

A spokesman for the Syrian National Coalition told the Associated Press on Sunday that the list of 12 candidates includes candidates in exile and at least two who live in areas held by forces loyal to President Bashar Assad who are fighting the rebels.

The Coalition is to meet on March 18-19 in Istanbul while the vote is to be completed on Tuesday.

Two previous attempts at elections were postponed due to a lack of consensus on the choice of premier.

The latest effort to set up a transitional government in the rebel-controlled areas comes after two years of bloody conflict in Syria.

In recent months, rebels have seized additional territory and now control large parts of mainly northern and eastern Syria.

In a related development, Syrian rebels on Sunday seized a Syrian military intelligence compound in the southern Hauran Plain near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, rebel commanders said, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, the Arab League said on March 6 it is prepared to hand Syria’s seat in the organization to the opposition battling to topple President Bashar al-Assad.

The Arab League suspended Syria’s membership in late 2011.