Salam visits South in 'message' in face of Israeli attacks

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Saturday visited several southern cities and towns, stressing that "the right of the people of the South to safety, to their homes, to their land, and to a dignified life is an indivisible national right."

"The continuous Israeli attacks constitute an assault on our sovereignty, on civilian lives, and on the people's right to live in peace. However, the state’s presence here today is a message in the face of this reality; its message is that the extension of state authority is not completed solely by the deployment of the army and its control over the ground ... but rather that state sovereignty is also a responsibility toward the people and their problems," Salam said.

"It is an open school, a functioning health center, water, electricity, telecommunications, accessible roads, and a dignified life," he added.

​He continued: "We are working on three axes. Our primary concern today is preserving the dignity of those who remain displaced, supporting those returning, and ensuring a better life for all. We are also working on three integrated tracks: continuous relief, reconstruction, and providing the conditions for recovery and socio-economic development."

"Today, I have come to announce a number of reconstruction projects following the availability of funding, whether from the general budget or through securing $250 million in soft loans from the World Bank, in addition to €75 million from the French Development Agency (AFD)," Salam announced.

Furthermore, €35 million in grants have been secured from the European Union, France, and Denmark to support economic recovery, with a special focus on agriculture and agricultural cooperatives, he said.

​Salam concluded by saying that he "will return soon on a second visit to the South to follow up on the implementation of these projects."