Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said his government is not seeking a confrontation with Hezbollah but will not yield to pressure, as Lebanon struggles to contain the fallout from the ongoing war.

“We are not looking for a confrontation with Hezbollah, but we will not give in to blackmail,” Salam said in an interview with L'Orient-Le Jour.

Salam said the only assurance his government has received so far during the ongoing war is that Beirut Airport and the road leading to it will not be targeted by Israeli strikes.

Salam said Lebanese officials are working every day to rally international support to end the conflict, but those efforts have yet to produce results.

“Every day we’re reaching out to Arab countries, our European partners, and the United States to try to stop the war,” Salam said. “So far, those efforts haven’t succeeded for several reasons. One is that this war is closely tied to the broader confrontation between the U.S. and Israel on one side and the Iranian regime on the other. At the same time, some of our Arab partners are focused on their own interests and priorities within that larger conflict.”

Salam thanked Saudi Arabia for offering assistance and praised the support of France, noting that French President Emmanuel Macron had reaffirmed Paris’ political and humanitarian backing for Lebanon.

He said Lebanon would continue doing everything it can to bring the war to an end but expects European countries to take a more active role, both diplomatically and in terms of military assistance. Asked whether any serious initiative is currently on the table, Salam said it was still too early to speak of a clear plan, though several ideas — particularly from the French side — are being discussed.

Addressing the possibility of negotiations with Israel to end the conflict, Salam said Lebanon has indicated its readiness to resume talks.

“At last Monday’s Cabinet meeting, we made it clear that we’re ready to resume negotiations involving a civilian delegation under international sponsorship,” he said. “Direct talks haven’t been discussed, and the Israelis haven’t responded to our proposal yet. But we’re open to discussing any agenda, any framework, and any location.”

Salam stressed that while Lebanon wants peace, it will not accept terms imposed by Israel.

“No one in Lebanon will accept peace dictated on Israel’s terms,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we’re against peace. Lebanon has been calling for peace for the past 25 years, ever since the Arab Peace Initiative was adopted in Beirut.”

On the domestic front, Salam addressed the government’s recent decision declaring the military and security activities of Hezbollah illegal.

“Hezbollah is a political party with members in parliament, a large support base, and control over dozens of municipalities,” he said. “If it transitions fully into a political party and ends its military and security activities — which can no longer be tolerated — we will have no issue with it.”

The prime minister added that the government had already entered the second phase of a plan approved by the Cabinet in early September to deploy the Lebanese Armed Forces across the country. Although the current war has made it impossible to implement that phase exactly as originally planned, he said the government would not change course.

“Our direction is clear: weapons must ultimately be under the sole authority of the state across all Lebanese territory,” Salam said.

“Our position is clear and we’re not changing course,” he added. “The Cabinet — in the presence of the president and with the support of a large majority of ministers — decided that Hezbollah’s military and security activities are illegal. That’s the government’s position, and it must be enforced.”

The prime minister said the government had prepared for all possible scenarios but needed several days to adjust its plans as the war evolved. He added that the authorities are now better positioned to provide proper shelter for displaced people.

“These civilians are the victims of those who dragged Lebanon into this war,” Salam said, calling for broad national solidarity with the displaced. “Our humanity is being put to the test.”