Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Tuesday defended his government’s handling of national sovereignty and appeared to sharply criticize Hezbollah, saying that only the Lebanese State has the authority to decide matters of war and peace and warning against the continued existence of armed power outside State control.

In a post on X, Salam responded to accusations that Lebanon's political leadership had “helped Israel instead of defending Lebanon’s sovereignty,” arguing that those making such claims had themselves inflicted the greatest damage on the country.

“Today we hear people accusing the political leadership of helping Israel instead of defending Lebanon’s sovereignty, and then calling for dialogue and unity as if the Lebanese people have no memory,” Salam wrote.

He said the greatest service Israel had received came from those who had unilaterally drawn Lebanon into what he described as reckless “support wars.”

“The greatest favor done for Israel was by those who dragged Lebanon into reckless ‘support wars,’ giving Israel every pretext it needed to attack our country, violate our sovereignty, destroy our cities and villages, kill our people, and drive hundreds of thousands from their homes,” he wrote.

Salam said those who had monopolized the decision to go to war and continued trying to monopolize the authority of the state by tying Lebanon to regional power struggles and external agendas had no right to lecture others about patriotism or sovereignty.

“Those who made the decision for war on their own and still seek to keep the State’s authority in their hands, while tying Lebanon to outside agendas and regional power struggles, have no standing to hand out lessons in patriotism, much less in sovereignty,” he said.

The prime minister argued that genuine sovereignty can exist only through a single national authority and a unified military structure.

“Lebanon can only be sovereign when there is one independent national decision, one army, and one state that exercises authority over every inch of its territory through its own institutions,” he wrote.

Salam also addressed calls for dialogue and national unity, saying that reconciliation could not be built on denial of past mistakes.

“Dialogue and national unity can only be built through the courage to face difficult truths and the willingness to take responsibility for the reckless decisions whose heavy cost the Lebanese people are still paying today,” he said.

He emphasized that the Lebanese State remains responsible for all of its citizens, particularly those who have suffered repeated losses during years of conflict.

“The State remains the refuge of all Lebanese, especially those who have endured one loss after another,” he wrote. “It remains committed to ending the Israeli occupation of every inch of our territory, securing the return of all our prisoners, and creating the conditions for the safe and dignified return of our people to their cities, villages, fields, and homes. It is equally committed to rebuilding those communities in a way that helps heal the wounds of families who have lost loved ones and livelihoods.”

Salam concluded by calling for an end to the language of political treason accusations and for a more sincere commitment to national dialogue.

“We need to leave behind the language of treason and make our calls for dialogue and national solidarity genuine,” he wrote. “That is the surest way to strengthen Lebanon’s ability to face the enormous challenges before it.”