Lebanese PM vows to end Israeli occupation, calls for global pressure

Beirut, April 29 (IANS) Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam affirmed on Tuesday Lebanon's commitment to ending the Israeli occupation of all Lebanese territory and called for intensified diplomatic efforts to halt ongoing violations.

"Lebanon seeks to put an end to all such breaches and fully reclaim its land," he said, according to the official National News Agency.

Salam condemned the recent attack on Beirut's southern suburbs and other Israeli aggressions, describing them as "a breach of the cessation of hostilities arrangements." He stressed the urgency of "activating a monitoring mechanism to stop these violations."

In a meeting with a delegation from the Press Syndicate, the prime minister reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to the existing agreement and called on Israel to do the same.

Salam revealed that Lebanon is actively engaging with influential international actors to apply diplomatic pressure, Xinhua news agency reported. "We are in ongoing communication with the Americans, the French, and other key Arab and European countries to escalate these efforts," he said.

He also highlighted the government's focus on addressing citizens' needs. "We are committed to staying close to the people and addressing their security and livelihood concerns, especially by improving economic and living conditions."

He further noted that the Lebanese government has launched a reconstruction plan, starting with infrastructure. "We've completed damage assessments and are now mobilizing resources," he said. "Negotiations with the World Bank have already secured 325 million US dollars, and we're working to increase that amount."

Salam also emphasised the need to strengthen the Lebanese army amid mounting responsibilities. "We must reinforce army ranks through additional recruitment, particularly with deployments expanding in the south and along the northeastern border," he said, adding that support is also needed for security forces operating in critical facilities, including the port and airport.

--IANS

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