Salam says 'state must have single law and single army'

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam emphasized Thursday that "the state must have a single law and a single army" and called for "a minimum of rationality and patriotism" in a televised interview marking the first anniversary of his government winning the confidence of Parliament.

This comes as the Lebanese Army launches the second phase of its plan to disarm militias, notably Hezbollah.

"We are seeking to regain citizens' trust and must all rally around the state. The state must have a single law and a single army," Salam said.

"We hope there will be at least some rationality and patriotism. We do not need support from Iran, and it will take us years to recover from the consequences of the adventure of supporting Gaza… if only it had truly supported Gaza!" he added, referring to what Hezbollah called a "support front" for Gaza after the bloody attack carried out by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Oct. 7, 2024.

This front turned into an all-out war in Lebanon in the fall of 2024, causing thousands of deaths and destruction estimated at several billion dollars.

Since his appointment, Salam has visited southern Lebanon several times, most recently on Feb. 8. He reaffirmed the authorities' intention to rehabilitate villages destroyed by the devastating war between Hezbollah and Israel, which continues to bombard the region nearly daily despite the cease-fire in effect since November 2024.

"Our visit to the South represents a true return of the state to the region. We will work to ensure living conditions for its residents. The state is back to stay, and I will visit again," he said.

Regarding U.S. support for the Lebanese Army, Salam assured that "there is no American disengagement." "Over the past two months, the United States has allocated $180 million to the army and $40 million to the Internal Security Forces [ISF]. This demonstrates their confidence in the Lebanese Army and their support for its role," he added.

The army remains at the center of attention, both nationally and internationally, as the conference to support the Lebanese Army and the ISF is set for March 5 in Paris.

On Feb. 16, the army commander-in-chief, Rodolph Haykal, presented his vision for implementing the second phase of the militia disarmament plan, particularly regarding Hezbollah, to the Cabinet.

With government approval, he was granted four to eight months to complete this stage, which concerns the region between the Litani and Awali rivers.

By setting a timeline, the army aimed to show its determination to advance this project in the face of international pressure, especially from the United States and Israel.

But the approach ultimately adopted also seems designed to avert an internal crisis, as Hezbollah argues that the November 2024 agreement only calls for its disarmament south of the Litani River and urges the government to "surrender the monopoly on weapons."