PM Salam Tells UN Lebanon Demands Full Israeli Withdrawal, State Monopoly on Arms

Addressing the UN General Assembly's general debate, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam demanded Israel withdraw from all Lebanese territory to the internationally recognized border under the 1949 Armistice Agreement and UNSCR 1701, and said decisions over war, peace and weapons must rest with the Lebanese state alone: 'No one speaks on behalf of Lebanon, and no one negotiates for it, except the Lebanese state.' He described the conflict as a war 'imposed upon' Lebanon despite repeated warnings, said it left behind 'a vast humanitarian crisis,' and warned of a security vacuum in the south if no agreement is reached on a force to replace UNIFIL before its mandate expires Dec 31, 2026.