Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called for an arrangement that would advance Israel’s withdrawal and the collection of weapons under state control within the same timeline, as well as the establishment of a credible mechanism to verify the commitments, in order to restore the country’s sovereignty.
Salam spoke at a dinner hosted on Monday evening by Lebanon’s ambassador to Washington, Nada Hamade Mouawad, for Salam and his wife. Lebanese ministers, U.S. officials, ambassadors of Arab countries, and representatives of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund attended the dinner.
State authority across all of Lebanon
The Lebanese prime minister said there should be no authority above that of the state and that weapons should not be carried outside state institutions. Salam said decisions on war and peace should also not be made outside constitutional institutions, adding that they would remain committed to reform and diplomacy.
According to Salam, the principle of collecting weapons under state control should apply throughout the country. This includes the areas south and north of the Litani River, Hezbollah, all armed groups outside state institutions, Beirut, the Bekaa, the south and other regions.
International support for reconstruction and return
Salam called for increased international support to strengthen the capacity of the Lebanese army, rebuild the country and repair its infrastructure. He also called for support to enable displaced people to return.
Salam said Lebanon trusted the U.S. administration to ensure that the framework agreement was implemented and produced concrete results on the ground. He said the process should not be limited to managing the conflict.
Limited implementation of the framework agreement
The framework agreement reached between Beirut and Tel Aviv on June 26 under Washington’s mediation provides for Israel’s gradual withdrawal from the Lebanese territories it occupies. In return, the Lebanese army is to deploy in these areas and armed groups are to be disarmed.
The agreement also includes the creation of pilot areas for implementing its provisions. However, implementation has remained limited to the towns of Furun, Srifa and Zautar al-Gharbiyya in the Nabatieh Governorate of southern Lebanon. More than 50 towns remain under Israeli control.
Attacks and displacement
Israel’s attacks on Lebanon have continued despite the agreement. At least 4,386 people have been killed, 12,407 wounded and more than 1 million displaced since March 2.
Israel has controlled some areas in southern Lebanon for decades. After the 2023–2024 war, Israel continued to control certain areas and advanced up to approximately 10 kilometers into Lebanese territory during the latest war.
