Salam: 'I repeat the same offer of readiness to negotiate with Israel' with US mediation

BEIRUT — Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam reiterated that Lebanon is ready to hold talks with Israel and would seek U.S. assistance to facilitate negotiations, in an interview published Thursday by Bloomberg, saying the reasons why Tel Aviv has yet to respond to this call for talks remain "a puzzle" to him.

He also said that Hezbollah's disarmament "is underway," while calling for better equipment for the Lebanese Army, as Israel intensifies its airstrikes against Hezbollah in south Lebanon.

“I repeat the same offer of readiness to negotiate with Israel,” Salam said, adding that he is convinced a diplomatic solution is possible. But, he noted with regret, appeals by Beirut since mid-October, when Lebanese President Joseph Aoun opened the door to talks, have gone unanswered.

"That’s a puzzle for me. They ask for negotiations and when we show readiness they don’t agree to the rendez-vous,” he said. "“That’s something I’ll be bringing up with the Americans” the prime minister added.

President Joseph Aoun, for his part, has repeatedly stated that negotiations remain the only way to restore stability in the South and in the country. In early November, Hezbollah reiterated its opposition to disarmament and voiced its refusal of "political negotiations" with Israel.

A year after the implementation of a cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and France between Israel and Hezbollah, tensions remain high.

Israel struck hard Wednesday in South Lebanon, hitting several villages in the region after warnings and online calls for evacuation, and killed 13 youths in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain al-Hilweh on Tuesday night.

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Disarmament 'is underway'

Addressing the question of disarming Hezbollah, Salam said this process "is on track" and that the Lebanese Army is strengthening its presence in South Lebanon, especially in border areas with Israel.

He added that the first phase of this process, focused on South Lebanon, should be completed by the end of the month, while Beirut and the Bekaa Valley will be covered in subsequent phases. The prime minister also said that it is Israel that is not respecting the terms of the cease-fire agreement.

Israel and the United States accuse the Lebanese government of not meeting its commitments, which require swift disarmament of Hezbollah.

In this context, the U.S. canceled on Tuesday meetings with army commander Rodolphe Haykal, who was expected in Washington, with the U.S. administration blaming the army for not being active enough in dismantling Hezbollah's arsenal.

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Speaking about the army's work, Salam also discussed the challenges facing the troops, who must be deployed along the border while also dealing with disarmament. “Why can’t we move faster? One: we need to recruit more people into the army and we need to better equip the army and we need to be able to raise the salaries of army,” Salam said.

Although the government says it does not have evidence of attempts to rearm Hezbollah, the prime minister said the army must remain vigilant and has tightened control over smuggling routes, especially at the Syrian border.

Regarding Israel's occupation of at least six hills on the Lebanese side of the border, even though full withdrawal is stipulated in the November 2024 truce agreement, Salam said the occupied positions "have no military or security value. It's a means of pressuring the Lebanese."

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This tense backdrop in the South was further underlined Thursday in statements to al-Jadeed TV by Egypt's ambassador to Beirut, Alaa Moussa, who stressed the importance of "defusing current tensions in Lebanon." "If the situation drags on, the risk of further escalation increases," he warned.

Moussa added that "a monopoly on weapons by the Lebanese state is inevitable and is no longer up for debate," noting that the Lebanese issue was discussed Tuesday in a call between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdellaty and his French counterpart Jean-Noel Barrot.

Collaboration with the IMF

Commenting on the economic crisis and the overhaul of the financial sector, Salam also said the government is making progress on a draft law to fill an estimated $80 billion gap in the financial sector — a step he hopes will unlock desperately needed funding from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

He added that if Lebanon "could secure three or four billion dollars, it would be a real achievement." "We desperately need these funds," he added. "Being part of a program with the IMF is, for investors both public and private, a stamp of approval for your financial standing," the prime minister stressed, a day after the conclusion of the Beirut One conference, during which he said that Lebanon's stability and security are essential to attracting investment.

Lebanon is also working with France and Saudi Arabia to organize a donor conference to support the country's reconstruction and recovery, Salam noted. He further asserted that an opportunity for change is emerging in the region and that Lebanon "will not let this chance slip by."