Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday declared that his country has had enough of "reckless" wars fought for foreign interests, urging Arab and international support for Beirut's negotiations with Israel. Speaking at an NGO dinner, Salam expressed hope to "mobilize all Arab and international support to bolster our position in the negotiations" with Israel, shortly after the latest round of talks extended the ongoing truce by 45 days.
Rebuke to Hezbollah
In an implicit rebuke to Hezbollah, which joined the Middle East war in support of Iran on March 2, Salam stated that Lebanon had "enough of these reckless adventures serving foreign projects or interests, the latest being a war we did not choose but was forced upon us, which led to Israel occupying 68 towns and villages." Since the conflict began, Israeli attacks have killed over 2,900 people in Lebanon, including more than 400 after an April 17 truce took effect, according to Lebanese authorities. Over one million people were displaced, and Israeli forces operate inside a declared "yellow line" approximately 10 kilometers north of the border, conducting extensive demolitions.
Criticism of Victory Claims
Salam further criticized those who label the war a victory: "And after all this, with all the killing, destruction, displacement, and tragedies it brought, someone comes along trying to insult our intelligence and calls it a victory," he added, hinting at Hezbollah. "Enough with the incitement and accusations of treason; this will not and cannot intimidate us."
Call for Sole Armed Force
The prime minister emphasized that the Lebanese military should be the only armed body in the country. Beirut last year committed to disarming Hezbollah after the group was weakened by its 2024 war with Israel. Following the group's initiation of the latest war in March, the Lebanese government outlawed its military activities. Hezbollah has strongly rejected all government moves against it, opposes direct negotiations with Israel, accusing the government of committing a "sin" and urging withdrawal from the talks.
