Prime Minister Nawaf Salam during a meeting at the Grand Serail on June 25, 2026. (Credit: Grand Serail/X)
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Thursday that the residents of southern Lebanon "did not leave their land of their own free will, and it is our duty to support them in their dignified return," following a preparatory meeting devoted to the stages of return for displaced people and the recovery of this part of Lebanon.
"The residents of the South did not leave their land of their own free will, and it is our duty to support them in their dignified return. We will not leave our fellow citizens in the South alone in the face of the consequences of the war, and we will put all available means at the service of their return and the recovery of the South," the head of government said after a meeting with several ministers, as well as with the heads of the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR), the Council of the South, the High Relief Commission and the head of the central operations management cell at the Grand Serail.
Salam said he has asked all ministries, administrations and relevant agencies to support the return of southern residents to their villages, according to a statement from the Grand Serail. More than one million people have been victims of forced displacement since the resumption of war between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, while Israel has totally or partially destroyed more than 60 villages, undermining residents' return.
The head of government also called for the completion of the damage assessment, faster debris removal and the reopening of roads, as well as the restoration of electricity, water and telecommunications networks, alongside the evaluation of damage to infrastructure and public facilities.
According to a study conducted by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the National Council for Scientific Research (CNRS), Lebanon — ravaged since early March by Israel — had, as of April 29, 2026, suffered damages estimated at more than $1 billion, with more than 11,000 buildings completely destroyed in the South.
The government intends to "take advantage" of funds already allocated as part of the Lebanon Emergency Assistance Project (LEAP) — a $250 million program supported by the World Bank and approved by Parliament in June 2025 — as well as credits available from the High Relief Commission and the Council of the South, in order to "launch urgent initiatives in favor of the residents' return and recovery," the prime minister also emphasized.
