One month has passed since a devastating war, which we had warned about and most Lebanese feared, seeing it as imposed upon our country. It has been a month since the Cabinet declared its full rejection of any military action outside the legitimate state institutions and affirmed that decisions on war and peace must remain exclusively in the hands of the state.
Today, I find it necessary, along with the Cabinet, to renew our commitment to spare Lebanon further tragedies and losses resulting from the attacks on its sovereignty, cities, and villages. I also reiterate our dedication to using all available means to stop the war. Therefore, we will spare no effort in rallying Arab and international support, amid the explosive regional situation that has once again turned Lebanon into a theater of the broader conflict in the entire region.
It has become clear that the Israeli aggression against Lebanon will not be limited to continuing the military operations we have witnessed over the past sixteen months, following the announcement of the ceasefire agreement in November 2024. The positions of Israeli officials and the actions of their army reveal far-reaching objectives, including significant territorial expansion in Lebanon, dangerous statements about establishing buffer zones or security belts, and the displacement of more than one million Lebanese citizens.
Lebanon has become the victim of a war whose outcomes or end date cannot be predicted. This calls on us to intensify our political and diplomatic efforts to halt ongoing violations of our sovereignty and territorial integrity and to condemn the blatant breaches of international law and international humanitarian law.
It is crucial to emphasize that nothing reinforces the linkage of the conflict on our soil to the wars of others—where we have no national interest, neither directly nor indirectly—more than the announced military operations carried out in coordination and simultaneously with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
At the same time, we are called upon to continue strengthening our capacities, securing greater support for hosting displaced persons, meeting their needs, ensuring their proper reception, and even embracing them, while safeguarding both their security and the security of their host communities across Lebanon. These displaced individuals are the first and greatest victims of a war in which they had no say or choice.
The critical stage Lebanon is going through urges us to elevate the spirit of national solidarity and human fraternity above all feelings of caution and resentment, and to prevent the dangers of civil division by rejecting logic based on suspicion, malice, or fear-mongering and hatred.
Finally, I wish to extend my highest regards to our steadfast people in their cities and villages in the south and assure them that we are fully with them, and we will spare no effort to ensure their resilience.
