Lebanese parliament renews confidence in Nawaf Salam’s government

By Wassim Samih Seifeddine and Betul Yilmaz

BEIRUT / ISTANBUL (AA) – The Lebanese parliament on Wednesday renewed confidence in the government of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

After two days of parliamentary discussions on the government policies, 69 members in the 128-seat parliament voted in favor of the government against nine, with four abstentions and 46 absences.

According to an Anadolu reporter, the most debated issues in parliament were the government’s policies on the disarmament of Hezbollah under a proposed US roadmap and the implementation of UN Resolution 1701.

Cross-border warfare between Israel and the Hezbollah group in Lebanon escalated into a full-scale war last September. Despite a November ceasefire, Israeli forces have carried out near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah activities.

Since then, Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 236 people and injuries to more than 540.

Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Tel Aviv refused to comply.

Until now, Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.