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Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a statement on social media following Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon on August 15. He described the actions as extremely dangerous and said they hinder efforts to stabilize the situation in the south. Salam stressed that the seven people killed in the raid on Ansar village were not military infrastructure and that the children and women among the dead were not military targets. The prime minister added that responsibility for managing any military infrastructure if present rests exclusively with the Lebanese state through its army and legitimate institutions. He asserted that such presence does not give Israel the right to violate Lebanese territory or endanger the civilian population.
Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that an Israeli strike hit a house on the outskirts of Ansar in the Nabatieh district around 4:30 a.m. local time where displaced families had been living. Health ministry officials placed the toll from that strike at seven dead including three children and two wounded. The agency and other local media outlets noted additional strikes targeted the Deir Zahrani area along with parts of Nabatieh city and surrounding villages. These incidents occurred as one of the deadliest episodes since an agreement aimed at reducing hostilities took shape in June. Salam’s statement emphasized that Lebanese security and the right of residents to live on their land remain non-negotiable.
Salam said in the social media post that Israel must halt this escalation for the security of our people and their right to life on their land are not subject to negotiation or bargaining. The prime minister’s intervention comes amid heightened tensions that have tested the durability of border calm established earlier this year. Lebanon’s health ministry has documented a pattern of civilian impact from such operations in recent months. Officials in Beirut continue to coordinate with international partners to address the immediate humanitarian fallout in affected districts. The strikes have prompted renewed calls for restraint from multiple Lebanese political figures.
According to assessments compiled by Lebanon’s National News Agency the affected zones in Nabatieh and surrounding areas have seen repeated incidents that complicate stabilization initiatives. Salam has positioned the Lebanese Army as the sole legitimate authority for addressing any security matters on national soil. The prime minister’s office has used similar messaging in prior statements to underscore sovereignty concerns. Data from the health ministry indicates that recent escalations have disproportionately affected non-combatants including families displaced by earlier rounds of violence. International monitors have tracked a measurable uptick in cross-border incidents during the past week.
The Lebanese government has maintained that civilian safety in the south forms a core priority in its diplomatic engagements. Salam’s August 15 statement builds on earlier government positions that reject any external infringement on national territory. Health officials continue to update casualty figures as rescue operations proceed in Ansar and Deir Zahrani. The prime minister has directed relevant ministries to assess damage and support affected residents. Lebanon’s position remains that dialogue and full respect for its borders offer the only sustainable path forward.
