Beirut, March 04 (QNA) - Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pledged to the Lebanese people that their country will not remain an arena for regional conflict and disputes.

In an address to the nation, Salam affirmed that the government is sparing no effort to stop the destructive war in the country and to return thousands of residents of the south, the Bekaa and the southern suburbs, who were forced to leave their homes and villages under the pressure of hostilities in search of safety and security.

Salam said that the people who were forced to leave their homes are not responsible for what has befallen them, but are victims of policies they did not make.

He added that it is their collective responsibility, as a state and as a society, to stand by the people who have been displaced, and to provide them with what they need with dignity and in a spirit of brotherhood and solidarity, warning against any abuse, discrimination or exploitation against them.

The Lebanese prime minister noted that since dawn yesterday, the government has begun taking the necessary measures to organize the response, secure shelters and provide basic needs for the displaced.

Earlier today, Lebanon's Ministry of Health announced that the death toll from the Israeli aggression on Lebanon had risen to 72 killed and 437 wounded. (QNA)