Salam to Ain Ibl delegation: State will remain by the side of southeners to help them stay on their land

SOUTH LEBANON — PM Nawaf Salam assured residents of Ain Ibl, one of the few villages still inhabited in the border area occupied by Israel, on Wednesday that "the state will remain by their side to help them stay on their land," according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).

These assurances came just days after controversial statements by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said Sunday that some Christian villages in south Lebanon had "asked to be annexed by Israel" out of fear of Hezbollah.

The allegations were immediately and categorically denied by about 15 villages in South Lebanon, including Ain Ibl, Dibil and Rmeish.

"The state will remain by your side and that of all the residents of the south. It will make every effort to provide all the necessary support to bolster your resilience and allow you to stay on your land," Salam told a delegation from Ain Ibl he received at the Grand Serail, while saluting their patriotism and attachment to their land.

"Among the Christian villages in Lebanon, some have even asked to be annexed to Israel because we protect them against Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them. And we are doing the same everywhere with Christians," Netanyahu also said on The Sunday Briefing, as his country occupies about 620 square kilometers of southern Lebanon along the border. The Israeli prime minister did not, however, name the villages he was referring to.

The categorical denial from these villages in response to Benjamin Netanyahu's comments was praised by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, an ally of Hezbollah.

Salam paid tribute to "their resilience and attachment to their land and identity, which reflects the authenticity of their national belonging that they will not negotiate under any circumstances."

As for Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah, he said that these towns are "an integral part of the national and social fabric of South Lebanon," criticizing Lebanese authorities for remaining silent on the Israeli prime minister's comments.