Lebanon PM Says Country Has Had Enough ‘Reckless’ Wars for Foreign Interests

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Friday said his country has had enough “reckless” wars for foreign interests, calling for Arab and international support in Beirut’s negotiations with Israel. Speaking at an NGO dinner, Salam said that he hoped to “mobilize all Arab and international support to bolster our position in the negotiations” with Israel, shortly after the last round of talks ended and extended the ongoing truce for 45 days. In an implicit rebuke to Hezbollah, which joined the Middle East war in support of Iran on March 2, Salam said the country 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”. Israeli attacks since the start of the war have killed more than 2,900 people in Lebanon, including more than 400 since an April 17 truce took effect, according to Lebanese authorities. More than a million people were displaced, and Israeli soldiers are operating inside an Israeli-declared occupied “yellow line”, which runs around 10 kilometers (six miles) north of the Israel-Lebanon border, carrying out broad demolition operations there. “And after all this, with all the killing, destruction, displacement, and tragedies (the war) brought, someone comes along trying to insult our intelligence and calls it a victory,” he added, also hinting at Hezbollah. “Enough with the incitement and accusations of treason; this will not and cannot intimidate us.” Salam also said 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. After the group started the latest war in March, the Lebanese government outlawed its military activities. Hezbollah strongly rejected all of Beirut’s moves against it, and is opposed to direct negotiations with Israel, accusing the government of committing a “sin” and urging it to withdraw from the talks.