Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said Tuesday at the World Governments Summit in Dubai that Lebanon will not be pulled into another round of regional fighting, arguing the country cannot afford a repeat of the spillover costs tied to the Gaza war and the past year’s border flareups.
“We will not allow Lebanon to be dragged into a new adventure, especially after the very high cost of the Gaza support war. We must protect ourselves by standing around the state and not involving Lebanon in wars that have nothing to do with us,” Salam said during a dialogue session.
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He framed the message as both a security warning and a governing agenda: Lebanon, he said, needs a state-centered approach that prioritizes sovereignty and a reform program aimed at stabilizing a country still battered by economic collapse, political paralysis, and institutional strain. “We are committed to the path of reform and to restoring Lebanon’s sovereignty … All we ask from our Arab brothers and the world is to support us, not replace us.”
The comments land as Lebanon tries to keep a lid on a tense frontier that ignited after the October 2023 Gaza war. Hezbollah and Israel traded fire for months, raising fears of a broader conflict even as diplomacy tried to contain it.
Under mediation by the United States and France, Israel and Lebanon reached a ceasefire that took effect on Nov. 27, 2024. But the calm has stayed brittle: Israel has continued strikes it says target “Hezbollah threats,” and it still holds positions at five points along the border area—keeping the risk of renewed escalation on the table.