Beirut — April 2, 2026
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam delivered a stark assessment on Thursday, warning that the ongoing conflict devastating his country shows no signs of resolution, even as the human toll continues to mount with over a million people now uprooted from their homes.
Speaking to journalists following a cabinet session in Beirut, Salam painted a grim picture of a nation caught in the crossfire of forces beyond its control. “Lebanon has become a victim of a conflict whose conclusion and timeline remain impossible to foresee,” he stated.
The Prime Minister pointed directly to Israeli military ambitions as a central obstacle to peace, citing rhetoric from Israeli officials that suggests intentions to maintain a long-term grip on portions of Lebanese soil. He expressed alarm over repeated Israeli statements about establishing buffer territories and security corridors along Lebanon’s southern borders — language that has stirred memories of Israel’s 22-year occupation, which only ended in 2000.
A Nation Under Siege
Since hostilities reignited in early March following a Hezbollah cross-border strike launched in solidarity with Iran after US-Israeli military action against Tehran, Israeli forces have conducted sustained air campaigns and ground operations across southern Lebanon. The assault has resulted in more than 1,300 confirmed deaths and forced evacuation orders covering roughly 15% of Lebanese territory.
Israeli troops remain stationed at five elevated positions in the south — a visible assertion of what Beirut fears could become a permanent military footprint.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun had extended an offer of direct negotiations to Israel, but as of Thursday, that proposal had gone unanswered. Salam pledged his government would aggressively pursue every available diplomatic channel to bring the fighting to a halt.
Civilians Hold Their Ground
Despite the advancing military operations and a Lebanese army withdrawal from frontline zones to prevent direct confrontation with Israeli forces, tens of thousands of Lebanese civilians have refused to abandon their homes. Among them are approximately 9,000 Christians living in a cluster of border villages, who have reportedly told journalists they intend to remain regardless of the military situation.
Salam acknowledged their resilience, saying, “I extend the highest salute to our people who are holding firm in their towns and villages in the south. We stand with them.”
Without directly naming Hezbollah, the Prime Minister also condemned what he described as coordinated military operations conducted alongside Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps.