Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam's visit to Nabatieh and the launch of restoring state institutions in the south

⏱️ Timeline

1. 2 Oct 2026, 08:42 Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam arrived in the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon and visited the Nabatieh Internal Security Forces (Darak) company, where he praised the personnel's efforts and affirmed that the government stands by them and supports them, amid heavy morning traffic heading toward Baabda.
2. 2 Oct 2026, 08:58 On Friday morning Salam began a field tour of Nabatieh accompanied by Interior and Municipalities Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar and an official and security delegation, focused on the presence of state institutions and following up on the needs of the city and the south amid ongoing tensions and Israeli attacks. He started with a visit to the Nabatieh Darak company in Kfarjouz, then was to move to the Nabatieh municipality where he would hold a meeting and deliver a speech, with the program including laying the foundation stone for a new headquarters.
3. 2 Oct 2026, 10:17 PM Nawaf Salam said from Nabatieh that no sane person can accept that some remain waiting for regional settlements or ready for a new war, while Interior Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar said from Nabatieh that the state is with the people of the south and that its absolute priority is to re-extend its control through its security forces, army and security agencies, over every inch of southern soil.
4. 2 Oct 2026, 11:01 During his Nabatieh visit, PM Nawaf Salam said the scale of needs resulting from the last war between Hezbollah and Israel exceeds the Lebanese state's capabilities and requires major funding. He announced the launch of 23 tenders in the Nabatieh district covering the removal of obstacles, road restoration, rehabilitation of shelter centers and the provision of ambulances and medical equipment, stressing efforts to mobilize support for a full Israeli withdrawal and reconstruction, and that the Lebanese state's capabilities are not enough to bear the burdens of the current crisis.
5. 2 Oct 2026, 11:17 Residents of Nabatieh gathered around PM Nawaf Salam and declared their support for him with words of endorsement, telling him, "We are with you, with you to the last breath."
6. 2 Oct 2026, 11:20 Citizen Abbas Ali Salloum appealed to PM Nawaf Salam during his Nabatieh tour to intervene to remove two unexploded war remnants missiles, each weighing about a ton, still inside his house for more than two and a half months, preventing him and his family from returning home. He explained that he has been following up the case with the relevant authorities and that specialized teams inspected the site and the municipality and the army were informed, without the two missiles being removed so far, while the Prime Minister pledged to intervene.
7. 2 Oct 2026, 12:18 During PM Nawaf Salam's visit to Nabatieh, a woman from the southern residents made an appeal calling on the state to shoulder its responsibilities and stand by the people after months of losses and destruction. She said the area's youth "we no longer want them to be martyred" and that the south "we have become Karbala here," described the area as "burned land," and called for real support rather than promises.
8. 2 Oct 2026, 12:40 During his Nabatieh tour, PM Nawaf Salam affirmed that the return of the General Security center to work carries a clear message that the south is Lebanese land and that the state and its institutions will remain present there despite difficulties. He stressed that security alone is not enough and called for the return of basic services to people, and he also visited the government Saray in Nabatieh and the home of the city's imam, Sheikh Abdul Hussein Sadiq.
9. 2 Oct 2026, 19:07 During his visit to Nabatieh accompanied by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Labor Minister Mohammad Haidar and several security agency chiefs, Interior and Municipalities Minister Ahmad al-Hajjar declared that the state's absolute priority is "liberating the south" and extending its authority through the army and security forces, stressing that the south remaining under pressure means that "all of Lebanon is not well." The tour included the Nabatieh Darak company in Kfarjouz, the Nabatieh municipality and the site of the new Civil Defense headquarters.
10. 2 Oct 2026, 20:27 Lebanese MP Jamil al-Sayyed clarified his position after objections to his praise of PM Nawaf Salam's visit to Nabatieh, affirming that any step should be assessed on its content and what it delivers to people, not on who carried it out. He called for separating the political position on a person from the assessment of positive actions, stressing that what the state provides to citizens is a core duty and not a favor from anyone.
11. 3 Oct 2026, 02:32 Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam launched the process of returning state institutions to work in the city of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon after the last war, affirming that his approach is based on restoring the state's presence and the necessity of achieving a full Israeli withdrawal, and that Lebanon cannot wait for a major regional settlement that may be delayed or come at its expense. Salam defined his government's priorities as stopping Israeli attacks, achieving a full withdrawal, the safe return of residents and launching reconstruction.
12. 4 Oct 2026, 21:38 Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam affirmed that Lebanon's goal is a full Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, stressing that the state must be present wherever it can be, and that restricting weapons to the state is an internal Lebanese commitment taken before any external party asked for it.
13. 4 Oct 2026, 22:04 PM Nawaf Salam affirmed that Lebanon does not interfere in Iranian affairs and does not support any opposition faction, calling for relations with Iran based on mutual respect and non-interference. He stressed that the state's presence in the areas to which residents are returning must include services and reconstruction, including the restoration of five hospitals and the rehabilitation of schools, along with Lebanon's need for external funding and a full Israeli withdrawal, and he referred to the Taif Agreement in the weapons-restriction file.

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