LEBANON’S Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Tuesday that his government was not seeking confrontation with resistance group Hezbollah, but would not allow itself to be intimidated.

This comes as the Lebanese leader prepares for direct talks with Israel to end the conflict.

Speaking from Paris where he was meeting French President Emmanuel Macron to see how to strengthen Lebanon’s hand in talks with Israel, Mr Salem said: “We are continuing along this path, convinced that diplomacy is not a sign of weakness, but a responsible act to leave no avenue unexplored in restoring my country’s sovereignty and protecting its people.” 

“We are not seeking confrontation with Hezbollah. On the contrary, I wanted to avoid confrontation with Hezbollah, but believe me, we will not be intimidated by Hezbollah,” Mr Salam said when ⁠asked about the state’s ability to disarm the resistance group.

Lebanon in 2025 said it would disarm Hezbollah ‌but have been criticised by the United States and Israel for not moving fast enough.

The United States is set to host ambassador-level talks with Israel and Lebanon on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Israeli troops occupy territory deep in south Lebanon, aiming to create what Tel Aviv describes as a buffer zone, while Hezbollah says it has the “right to resist” Israeli occupation.