Salam: Lebanese state 'controls' south of Litani, 'advances' north

BEIRUT — “For the first time in more than 50 years,” the Lebanese state has regained “operational control” south of the Litani River and is now “advancing” north of the river, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam told Bloomberg in an interview in Davos, where he was attending the World Economic Forum.

He also addressed the parliamentary elections scheduled for May, stating that the executive branch’s neutrality is “paramount” to ensuring fair elections, and expressed confidence that Lebanon would pass a law organizing the distribution of financial losses and restoring the restitution of deposits, in line with the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) expectations.

“For the first time since 1969, that is, for more than 50 years, the Lebanese state has full control, complete operational control of the region south of the Litani River,” Salam said.

When asked about the north of the Litani River, where Hezbollah firmly refuses to disarm as long as Israel occupies several positions in Lebanon and continues its airstrikes, he replied: “We are making progress. This is the second phase of the plan presented by the army to the Cabinet, which welcomed it on Aug. 5.”

“But believe me, it is a historic moment, in a very difficult environment, that we have been able to restore sovereignty over southern Lebanon,” he emphasized.

When asked about his fears of a new all-out war breaking out between Israel and Hezbollah, more than a year after the cease-fire agreed upon at the end of November 2024, he stated that “we are not in an all-out war today, but we are experiencing a kind of war of attrition.”

“Almost every other day, if not every day, there is more than one attack in Lebanon. And Israel continues to occupy parts of southern Lebanon,” he noted.

The Israeli army once again violated the cease-fire by carrying out several massive strikes on Lebanese territory on Wednesday, which sparked a wave of condemnation from political leaders. "We are trying to mobilize the international community and are using all diplomatic means to pressure Israel to respect its end of the cease-fire agreement," he repeated.

In an interview with Al Hadath, Salam stated, "We need Washington to pressure Israel to end its hostile actions." He added, "We are seeking to reactivate the work of the 'mechanism' commission," emphasizing that "there is no objection to expanding the participation of Lebanese civilians within the commission."

The PM declined to comment on developments in Iran, where protests have been bloodily suppressed by the Tehran regime, which blames the United States and Israel for being behind them.

"At every visit of Iranian officials to Lebanon, I clarify that we want to rebuild diplomatic relations based on mutual respect and non-interference. Iran is a major actor in the region, but I'd rather not comment on its internal affairs," he said.

When the journalist asked him if he felt that the link between Hezbollah and the Iranian regime had weakened, he replied: "I wouldn't say it has weakened. But my message to Hezbollah ... is to prioritize its national agenda over any other regional agenda."

"I don't think the link between Hezbollah and Iran has diminished. My constant appeal to Hezbollah is for it to act as a national actor and to prioritize its national agenda over any other regional agenda," he also added.

Parliamentary elections and support for the army

Salam also addressed domestic political issues, stating that no sitting minister in his government will be able to run in the May 2026 parliamentary elections without first resigning.

“Since the formation of this government, I have made it clear that it would be responsible for overseeing the elections. To ensure neutrality, I will not be a candidate in these elections, and any minister who wishes to run will have to leave the government. The government’s neutrality is paramount to ensuring fair elections,” the prime minister affirmed.

“We want the elections to be held on the date stipulated by the Constitution, and we want to be as neutral as possible,” he added, while the sensitive issue of expatriate voting raises the threat of postponing the elections until the summer.

In his interview with Al Hadath, Salam reiterated that he is “working to ensure that the parliamentary elections take place on the scheduled date” and that “the ball is in Parliament’s court.”

'Confident' in Solutions

Salam also stated that he was “confident” that Lebanon would adopt a law organizing the distribution of the country’s financial losses and reorganizing the return of deposits, a law in line with the expectations of the IMF, which recently confirmed that it could not, in its current form, approve the draft law on the “financial hole” prepared by the Cabinet and sent to Parliament.

Salam was responding to press reports published last week indicating that the IMF had rejected the draft. “The term ‘rejection’ is an exaggeration. The IMF said it could not approve the draft as is and recommended certain amendments. The engagement on this draft is positive, and we will continue to work with the Fund. We want to implement a program with the IMF, as indicated in the ministerial statement [made almost a year ago after the formation of his government],” the prime minister explained.

“Our goal is to have an acceptable program and a law that suits the International Monetary Fund, but this is not a dictate from the IMF. We will negotiate, and we are confident that we will find appropriate solutions to the outstanding issues and those on which the Fund has reservations,” he insisted.

He noted that the draft law is part of a three-part reform package, along with the reform on banking secrecy — accepted by the IMF — and the reform on bank resolution, which the Fund would also like to see amended.

When asked about Lebanon’s financial capacity to repay the deposits covered by the law, should it be passed, Salam asserted that his government was confident it could repay these deposits and even generate a surplus thanks to economic growth.

“Lebanon is returning to the international stage and is slowly but surely regaining the confidence of the international community and its partners,” he said, assuring that the use of gold reserves in this context was not under consideration.

Salam met in Davos with the Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, in the presence of the Finance and Economy Ministers, the Grand Serail reported on X, describing the meeting as "very positive and constructive."

The two sides agreed to send an IMF expert mission to Lebanon from Feb. 9 to 13. According to the statement, Salam presented "the government's reform agenda," emphasizing the draft law on the financial deficit.

"This draft law affirms the principle of accountability, constitutes a roadmap for recovering deposits, reviving the banking sector, and overcoming economic stagnation," Salam stated, specifying that the draft law complies with international standards already discussed with IMF experts.

Georgieva commended the government's commitment to implementing the necessary reforms to revive the economy, the Grand Serail added.

Salam also met on Thursday with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot to discuss "developments in the regional situation and their repercussions for Lebanon, particularly in the context of security and political challenges," according to a statement published on the Grand Serail's X account.

During his meeting with Barrot, Salam discussed "preparations" for the international conference in support of the Lebanese Army, which he described as "an essential pillar of stability and security" in Lebanon, according to a message also published on X.

Scheduled for March 5 in Paris, this fundraising event for the army and the Internal Security Forces (ISF) will be the first since the October 2024 conference, held amidst the open war between Israel and Hezbollah, which raised nearly one billion euros.

According to information confirmed by L’Orient-Le Jour, two sources, Lebanese and French, Salam is due to travel to Paris on Friday, where he will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron.