Lebanon .. Political Clash Between Nawaf Salam and Nabih Berri Over the South, Ain al-Tineh Responds: "The sun is shining and the people are clear"

The political debate in Lebanon intensified after a public dispute between Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Speaker of the House Nabih Berri regarding the government's handling of the affected individuals in southern Lebanon due to the recent war.

Salam expressed his astonishment, via his official account on the "X" platform (formerly Twitter), at a statement attributed to Berri in which he said that "the government does not ask about the people of the south and has not even said hello to them," emphasizing that the first action of his government after gaining confidence was a field visit to Tyre, Khiam, and Nabatiyeh to assess the conditions of the citizens there.

Salam clarified that the government, despite the lack of external support, managed to secure monthly financial aid for 67,000 affected families and rent assistance for 10,000 displaced families, in addition to launching projects to repair infrastructure under the supervision of the ministries of communications, public works, and electricity.

He added that his government obtained a loan of $250 million from the World Bank for the reconstruction of the affected areas, noting that the disbursement of this loan is still awaiting approval from the House of Representatives, urging the council to resume its legislative work quickly.

In contrast, NBN, a channel close to Berri, reported sources in Ain al-Tineh commenting on the Prime Minister's post:

> “The sun is shining and the people are clear,”
indicating that the facts are clear and do not require clarification or denial.



This political tension comes amid escalating internal disagreements over the government's plan to confine weapons to the state before the end of the year, a step that Hezbollah described as “a violation of the charter,” affirming that “Lebanon's strength lies in its resistance.”

It is noteworthy that Israel has continued to violate the ceasefire agreement with Lebanon since it came into effect on November 27, 2024, with violations exceeding 4,500 and leading to the death and injury of hundreds of civilians and military personnel in the south.