Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam has denied that his country is close to normalizing relations with the Israeli occupation, affirming Lebanon’s official rejection of this idea.

Salam’s statements come amid ongoing Israeli escalation in Lebanese territory, as the occupation announced on Wednesday morning the bombing of “two targets in eastern Lebanon” following days of intense airstrikes and continuous assassinations.

Salam emphasized that Lebanon is seeking to use diplomacy to pressure the occupation to halt its escalation, stating, “We have not yet exhausted all means of international and Arab diplomatic pressure on Israel.”