Lebanon PM says Beirut working for 'complete Israeli withdrawal'
Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has reaffirmed the government's commitment to securing a complete Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon. The diplomatic efforts follow a framework agreement involving the U.S. and Iran, though tensions remain due to Hezbollah's refusal to disarm.
Why it matters
The situation is critical for regional stability in the Middle East and the implementation of international security agreements.
Lebanon is working towards a "complete Israeli withdrawal" from areas it occupies, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday (July 22, 2026) on a visit to a village where Lebanon's army recently deployed.
"We will continue mobilising our political and diplomatic efforts to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from the south," he said in Zawtar al-Gharbiya.
Israeli forces were previously present on the outskirts of the village following the war with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
Mr. Salam visited the town a day after Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump at the White House, where he "stressed the urgent need for a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory".
Under a U.S.-sponsored agreement signed last month, Lebanon's army is meant to disarm Hezbollah, and the Israeli military is to withdraw from "pilot zones" where Lebanese forces will subsequently deploy.
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