Salam from Zawtar al-Gharbiya: “The return of our people to their land is the truest expression of Lebanon’s unity and sovereignty”

Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam, speaking from the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya, issued a national statement affirming the Lebanese government’s commitment to continuing political and diplomatic efforts to achieve a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, stressing that the next phase will see all state resources mobilized to support residents’ return to the South and to secure the foundations of stability and a dignified life.

He said in his remarks:

“I would like to address all Lebanese, especially our people in the South, from the town of Zawtar al-Gharbiya. This is a national moment carrying major political and moral dimensions, because it represents the beginning of the Israeli withdrawal from our land.

We have affirmed from the outset that our goal is a complete Israeli withdrawal from all our territory. What we are witnessing today is only the beginning, but we are determined and steadfast, and we will continue to marshal all our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a full withdrawal from all Lebanese territory. This is my first message.

As for my second message, it is to our people in the South. We are here to affirm that we have begun mobilizing all the state’s capabilities to accompany your return. The Lebanese Army and the security forces are present to protect our returning people, and alongside the completion of the army’s deployment, we will continue opening roads, removing rubble, and securing basic services, enabling our people to return safely and with dignity to their homes and villages.

We have also begun preparations to restore all essential services, including water, electricity, and telecommunications, and to work on providing prefabricated housing and everything needed to ensure a transitional phase.

I would like to stress that the return of life to the South is not merely a slogan, but a national objective to which the state is committed. The return of our people to their land is the truest expression of Lebanon’s unity and sovereignty.”