PM Salam calls for Israeli withdrawal and outlines stance on Hezbollah and national reforms

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Lebanon is clear about what it wants from Israel, stressing that it demands a full Israeli withdrawal and will not accept the continued presence of even “five or two points” inside Lebanese territory.

He also called for the release of prisoners and the resolution of all remaining disputed border points.

Salam said he is asking Hezbollah only to fulfill its obligations, noting that the group had committed through the 2006 government to implementing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which includes extending state authority across all Lebanese territory and ensuring that southern Lebanon becomes a weapons-free zone south of the Litani River.

He added that Hezbollah reaffirmed its commitments in 2024 through the ceasefire agreement in the government of former Prime Minister Najib Mikati, which included the principle of exclusive state control over weapons and defined the authorized armed entities.

Salam stated that Lebanon’s past political experience, including the civil war period and the Taif Agreement, means the country does not need new negotiations to implement existing agreements.

He added that Lebanon will not negotiate the implementation of the Taif Agreement, stressing that related issues should be addressed through parliament or the cabinet, including administrative decentralization and other reform laws, within state institutions working to restore their role.