Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said a previous post criticizing Israel’s actions in southern Lebanon was deleted after his X account was accessed. In a new message published on Thursday, Salam shared the post again.
Salam said attacks, raids and systematic demolitions had been carried out in Al-Mansouri, Zoutar al-Sharqiya and Kafr Tibnit, as well as in other villages and towns in southern Lebanon.
Legal emphasis on the demolitions
Salam said the actions targeted homes, residential areas, infrastructure, public buildings and places of worship, describing them as grave violations of the principles of international law and international humanitarian law.
Salam rejected the justification that the demolitions were necessary because military facilities were allegedly located in the targeted areas. He said the nature of the targeted places was incompatible with that justification.
Salam said it was not logical to characterize entire villages and towns as military facilities, stressing that such a claim could not legitimize the demolitions, the displacement of residents or preventing people from returning to their land.
The right of Lebanese people to return
Salam said Lebanon’s sovereignty and the safety of its people could not be subject to negotiation. He said the right of residents of the south to return to their land and rebuild their villages must likewise be protected.