Salam was accorded military honors and laid a wreath at the memorial to fallen Lebanese Army personnel before attending a briefing on the South Litani Sector’s mission.
Addressing officers, Salam said the Army’s presence in southern Lebanon went beyond military deployment and represented the presence and authority of the state.
"Every position where the Army deploys is a position where the state regains its sovereignty, authority and prestige," Salam said, stressing that Lebanon must have a single state authority and that the decision of war and peace must rest with the state and its constitutional institutions.
Salam acknowledged the challenges facing the military amid continuing Israeli attacks on southern towns, villages, homes and agricultural land, but stressed that sovereignty could only be restored by building a capable state backed by one strong army.
He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to strengthening the Army, mobilizing Arab and international support to develop its capabilities and equipment, and improving the living and social conditions of military personnel.
The prime minister also emphasized the Army’s unity, warning against allowing political or sectarian divisions to penetrate its ranks.
"If [the Lebanese] want to succeed in pulling the country out of its predicament and saving their homeland, they have no choice but to have one army, one flag and one state," he said.
Paying tribute to fallen soldiers, Salam said loyalty to their sacrifices required building a state whose authority over its territory was uncontested and "where no weapon stands above the weapon of its Army."
He added that restoring sovereignty in the south must extend beyond security to development, economic recovery and reconstruction, including schools, hospitals, roads, electricity, water, public administration and employment opportunities.
Addressing southern residents, Salam pledged that the state would continue working "around the clock" to secure a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, the release of all Lebanese prisoners, the safe and dignified return of residents to their towns and villages, and reconstruction.
Defense Minister Michel Menassa, for his part, said the visit reaffirmed the state’s commitment to restoring its sovereignty "over every inch of the south" and securing a complete Israeli withdrawal.
He said negotiations offered "the best available path" out of the war and reiterated that the state must exercise exclusive authority over the decision of war and peace, with weapons solely in its hands and the Lebanese Army serving as the country’s "fortress, embrace and refuge."
Tabet, meanwhile, said the Army continued to carry out its national duties despite difficult field conditions, ongoing Israeli attacks and significant operational challenges.
He described the Army’s deployment in the south as an expression of the state’s presence and commitment to its people, reaffirming its determination to protect the country and uphold its sovereignty.