WorldPosted at: Sep 25 2026 11:01PM


Lebanese PM Nawaz Salam calls recovery of territory under Israeli occupation one of three ‘existential challenges’ for Beirut

New York, Sep 25 (UNI) Lebanon’s Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has described the recovery of territory from Israeli occupation as one of three “existential challenges” facing his government, while calling for a viable replacement of the UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon before its planned withdrawal.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Salam said Lebanon needed to address three major challenges: restoring public trust after the country’s financial collapse and the 2020 Beirut port explosion, reclaiming national decision-making by ensuring that weapons remained under state authority, and recovering all Lebanese territory from Israeli occupation while extending state sovereignty across the country. His remarks come as Beirut seeks international support for maintaining a UN presence in southern Lebanon.
Salam cited UN Security Council Resolution 1701 as a key framework for Lebanon’s relations with Israel. The resolution ended the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah war and called for Hezbollah to disarm and withdraw north of the Litani River.
UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping mission that has operated in southern Lebanon for nearly five decades, is scheduled to begin its withdrawal at the end of 2026. Lebanese officials have warned that leaving without an alternative arrangement could create a security and humanitarian vacuum.
The UN peacekeeping leadership has also stressed the need for a smooth transition and continued coordination with the Lebanese army and other UN agencies.
Salam said Lebanon needed to ensure that its armed forces were the only authority making decisions over war and peace, reflecting his government’s stated effort to reinforce state control over security matters.
Under a framework agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel in June, the Lebanese army is expected to gradually take control of southern Lebanon as Hezbollah disarms and Israeli forces withdraw. Progress has remained limited, however, with Israel saying its forces will remain in areas where it believes Hezbollah continues to pose a threat.
The Israeli government and UN officials have previously accused Lebanon and UNIFIL of failing to fully implement Resolution 1701. Lebanon has called for Israeli withdrawal from territory it considers occupied and for respect for its sovereignty. The issue of a replacement for UNIFIL has become a central concern for Beirut as the mission’s current mandate approaches its end.
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