More than 500 military sites dismantled south of Litani River: Lebanese prime minister

​​​​​​​By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Thursday that his army has dismantled more than 500 military sites and weapons depots south of the Litani River in southern Lebanon.

Salam went on television to mark the first 100 days of his government and stressed that “stability cannot be achieved under Israeli aggression,” vowing to work on reconstruction and the return of detainees from Israel.

He said the government had “reinforced state authority” by removing partisan images at the airport, addressing attacks on UN forces, and launching border control committees.

He announced efforts to facilitate the safe return of Syrian refugees.

Salam affirmed that municipal elections had been completed and preparations for parliamentary elections are underway.

“Lebanon is at a historic crossroads and cannot recover without a financial and economic reform plan,” he said, emphasizing that recovery requires “a serious reform path and restoring the trust of Arab brothers.”

On economic reforms, he noted the adoption of the banking secrecy law and confirmed the government is finalizing the financial gap law.

He concluded by revealing that Lebanon is preparing for two international conferences -- one on reconstruction and another to attract investment.

Israeli forces have conducted near-daily attacks in southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah’s activities despite a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that was reached last November. The truce ended months of cross-border warfare between Israel and Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Lebanese authorities have reported nearly 3,000 Israeli violations of the truce, including the deaths of at least 208 people and injuries to more than 500 since the agreement.​​​​​​​

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. Israel still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.