Salam says Lebanese being held hostage, urges instant ceasefire

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam warned Friday that Lebanon is "facing one of the most dangerous chapters in its modern history."

"The truth is, this is a conflict they (Lebanese people) did not choose and did not want. In the past few weeks, as hostilities intensified, more than 900,000 people—nearly one in five residents—have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge across Lebanese territory," said Salam in a speech at the Grand Serail during the launch of the "2026 Emergency Humanitarian Appeal for Lebanon," in the presence of U.N. chief Antonio Guterres, U.N. officials and foreign ambassadors.

"Let me state clearly and unequivocally: Lebanon did not choose this war. The families forced to leave their homes and sleep in the streets, in their cars, or in overcrowded shelters did not choose this war. The children who wake up every morning to feelings of fear from a sudden raid that might hit a neighbor, a passerby, or a school did not choose this war," Salam added.

"They must not bear the burden of suffering imposed upon them; there is no justification for holding an entire people hostage. The people of Lebanon are not a battlefield, and Lebanon’s future is not collateral damage," he said.

He added: "An immediate ceasefire is not just a political option, but an urgent humanitarian necessity. The fighting must stop, civilians must be protected, and International Humanitarian Law must be fully respected."

Salam vowed that his government is "determined to restore the authority of the Lebanese state over all its territory and to restrict arms to the state alone."

"We have already taken decisive steps in this direction to ensure the state is the exclusive holder of the right to bear arms. The Lebanese Army has already dismantled more than 500 military sites and weapons depots south of the Litani River as part of a comprehensive plan aimed at confining weapons under state authority alone," Salam said.

"On the diplomatic front, I reiterate Lebanon’s readiness to resume negotiations with Israel under international auspices and with civil participation," he added.