Statement by Prime Minister Dr. Nawaf Salam: I met this morning with His Excellency the President of the Republic to evaluate the delicate situation Lebanon is going through, particularly in light of the serious and unprecedented Israeli escalation over the past few days, and the necessity of intensifying political and diplomatic efforts to reach a swift, effective, and permanent ceasefire. What we have witnessed over the past two days is not merely an expansion of the scope of Israeli attacks, nor just a crossing north of the Litani River reaching the outskirts of Nabatieh, the proud citadel of Jabal Amel, or systematic shelling of Tyre, the ancient bride of the Mediterranean, and the villages of its district and their steadfast, patient people. Israel is no longer targeting only specific sites or areas; rather, it has begun implementing a policy of total destruction of cities and towns and all components of life within them, practicing mass displacement that amounts to collective punishment against our safe people. These are policies condemned in all international norms and laws. Homes are leveled to the ground, neighborhoods are erased, schools, hospitals, and production facilities are bombed, places of worship are desecrated, and even cemeteries have not been spared by the machine of destruction. The targeting has also begun to reach archaeological and heritage sites that hold the memory of Lebanon and its civilizational identity, some of which are classified as World Heritage sites. What Israel is doing is not only a violation of Lebanon's sovereignty and territorial integrity, but an attempt to uproot the memory of the place and erase the history of the people. We are facing a scene that breaks the heart of everyone with a living conscience in the world: families displaced time and again, children who do not sleep because of relentless shelling, mothers searching for their homes among the rubble, and elderly people holding onto their land despite death and destruction. And I say to our people in the South: You are not alone. Your pain is the pain of all of Lebanon, and the tears of mothers and widows in the southern villages are the responsibility of an entire nation. Rest assured that the Lebanese state will spare no effort to achieve a ceasefire, secure Israel's complete withdrawal, release our prisoners, ensure the return of the people to their homes in dignity and safety, and achieve reconstruction. Friend and foe alike know that we did not choose this war, but rather it was imposed upon us, just as they know how high its toll has become in lives and livelihoods. Therefore, we are determined today not only to stop this war, but also to immunize our country and protect the future of our children in it, so that we prevent our homeland from being turned once again into a mailbox for regional or international messages, or allowing it to be used as an open arena for the wars and conflicts of others. Therefore, we have decided, with full awareness and responsibility, to pursue the most appropriate option to protect Lebanon and the Lebanese in this circumstance, which is the option of negotiations. And I want to speak here with utmost candor to the Lebanese: Are the results of negotiations guaranteed? Certainly not. But it is the least costly path for our country and our people, compared to the other options today. And is negotiation surrender? Also no. Because the first item on the agenda of the negotiating delegation, which is carrying out its work with high professionalism, is achieving a ceasefire. As for the goal we are working to reach through negotiations, and which cannot be compromised under any circumstances, it is the complete withdrawal and the release of prisoners, allowing for the reconstruction of what was destroyed and the safe and dignified return of the people to their land. This path is not easy and will not be short, but it becomes shorter and we become stronger when all efforts are united under the umbrella of the Lebanese state. This requires abandoning unilateralism and stopping stubbornness. The state is conducting negotiations today in the name of all Lebanese, and it behooves them all to rally under its banner, so that the decision of war and peace remains a national Lebanese decision, not monopolized by one faction over another, nor originating outside the borders. On the other hand, Israel must know that through its policy of scorched earth, collective punishment, and the bulldozing of villages and towns, it will gain neither security nor stability. Rather, it is deepening the abyss with the Lebanese—all the Lebanese—and leaving new, deep scars in their collective memory. Lebanon is going through today the most difficult ordeals it has experienced in its modern history... But we are confident that we will overcome them when we all gather under the banner of the single state, possessing a single decision and a single army. Long live you and long live Lebanon.