Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam says his government “will spare no effort to achieve the complete Israeli withdrawal and the return of our prisoners to their cities and villages”, according to Al Jazeera Arabic.

Travelling to Tyre, Salam hasaddressed soldiers deployed there following the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the southern Lebanese city, according to the state-owned National News Agency.

The prime minister has spoken to troops at the Benoit Barakat Barracks, and assured them that the country is mobilising international support to ensure their welfare amid the “Israeli aggression”.

“Strengthening the army is not a secondary item in our government’s programme, nor is it a technical matter; it is a strategic choice at the heart of our project to restore the state,” he has said.

Defence Minister Michel Mansour, also speaking in Tyre, says the Lebanese army would not rest until it restores “the sovereignty of the state and every inch of our land”.