"We are working tirelessly to end this war," Nawaf Salam repeats

In a new address to the hundreds of thousands of displaced persons in Lebanon, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that "all of Lebanon is [their] home, and the state is at [their side. "We are working tirelessly to end this war and enable you to return home as soon as possible, in safe and dignified conditions," he said, according to a statement posted on the Grand Serail's X account.

In this context, recalling that "this is a war that we [the Lebanese State] did not want," Salam said that "President [Joseph Aoun] launched his negotiation initiative [with Israel] in order to extricate Lebanon from the profound ordeal in which it has been plunged. "I have no doubt that all Lebanese aspire for our army to play its full role in extending the authority of the State over the entire territory," he added.

He then called for national unity. "The phase our country is going through is critical and requires all of us to be vigilant and wise in expressing our positions and feelings, in order to protect the country from the dangers of destructive division," the Prime Minister warned.

"To all Lebanese, I say that I respect and understand the concern that many of you have about the future of the country. You too are paying, even indirectly, the price of a war you did not choose," he also said.

In the latest report released on Wednesday evening, Lebanese authorities recorded around 816,000 displaced people.

Israeli evacuation orders cover all areas south of the Zahrani River, in addition to orders concerning the entirety of Beirut’s southern suburb, and parts of the Bekaa.