PM Salam praises army’s progress on weapons control plan, urges support for next phase

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam commended the Lebanese army for completing the first phase of its plan to implement the government’s decision on exclusive state control of weapons and extending state authority across Lebanese territory.

In a statement issued after the cabinet session, Salam praised the army’s leadership, officers, and personnel for their efforts and paid tribute to soldiers who were killed in the line of duty while carrying out the national mission.

The prime minister stressed the urgent need to provide the Lebanese army with logistical and financial support to strengthen its ability to carry out the second phase of the plan, which will extend from the Litani to the Awali rivers, as well as subsequent phases, as quickly as possible.

Salam said that ensuring the return of residents to areas south of the Litani River is a top priority following the completion of the first phase. He added that the government will accelerate reconstruction efforts in southern Lebanon in the coming weeks, after parliament approves a World Bank loan allocated for that purpose.

He also said the Lebanese state is continuing to mobilize Arab and international support to pressure Israel to withdraw from the five occupied points, halt its ongoing attacks, and secure the return of Lebanese detainees, steps he said are essential to consolidating stability and completing the extension of state authority across the country.