Nawaf Salam: The Scale of Needs Due to the Recent War Exceeds Lebanon's Capabilities

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Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said today, Friday, from southern Lebanon that the scale of needs resulting from the recent war between Hezbollah and Israel exceeds the capabilities of the Lebanese state and requires significant funding.

On the sidelines of a visit he began on Friday morning to Nabatiyeh, one of the largest cities in the south that suffered extensive destruction due to Israeli strikes during the war with Hezbollah, Salam addressed the people of the south: "I understand the magnitude of the crisis. I know your exhaustion and understand the suffering of those who lost their homes, those who lost their jobs or sources of income, and those who are waiting to be able to repair their homes or return to their towns and restore their lives. But the scale of needs exceeds the capabilities of the Lebanese state and its ability to bear these burdens alone."

He added, "We still need significant funding. But I want you to trust that we are striving, and we will continue to strive, to secure everything we can to uplift the south."

Lebanon entered the war on March 2 after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel, claiming it was a response to the killing of Iranian leader Ali Khamenei in the first American and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28. Israel responded with a campaign of heavy airstrikes and a ground incursion by its forces, which occupied dozens of towns and villages in southern Lebanon and carried out extensive bombing operations.

Nawaf Salam indicated in a speech before the Lebanese Parliament in mid-September that the cost of the last two wars between Israel and Hezbollah since October 2023 could exceed 27 billion dollars according to World Bank estimates.

Despite the announcement of a ceasefire since June, Nabatieh and its surroundings have been subjected to intensive Israeli strikes.

This is the second visit by a senior official to the city since the outbreak of the war, following a similar visit by Lebanese President Joseph Aoun last month.

Salam's tour includes visits to security headquarters after their rehabilitation and restoration following damage during the last war, and laying the foundation stone for a new headquarters for the Lebanese Civil Defense.

The authorities are striving, despite their modest capabilities, to push forward reconstruction efforts.

Salam said: "I am here today to confirm the return of state institutions to their work. They are an essential part of restoring life to this beloved city, and they will be in service to support the steadfastness of its good people and to ensure their presence on their land."

He announced the launch of 23 tenders, including in the Nabatieh district, among other projects, for the removal of obstacles, road repairs, rehabilitation of shelters, and provision of ambulances and medical equipment.

The intensity of fighting calmed following a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States in June, and then Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement that stipulates the disarmament of Hezbollah and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territories it invaded in southern Lebanon, along with the deployment of the Lebanese army starting from two "experimental" areas.

Hezbollah refuses to disarm and also rejects direct negotiations with Israel.

Israel continues to occupy vast areas in southern Lebanon, where it announced the establishment of a "security zone" extending ten kilometers deep along its borders, and continues to carry out massive strikes and demolition operations.

Salam emphasized in his speech the importance of "mobilizing all the resources and support we can to achieve a complete Israeli withdrawal and to rebuild the state. A capable and effective state, one for all its children, with a unified army and a unified decision, especially regarding the decision of war and peace."

He continued: "This is the way to ensure that we do not find ourselves once again facing a new war, or new pretexts for aggression against Lebanon, or a new expansion of occupation."