BEIRUT, Lebanon: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said ongoing negotiations with Israel are intended to bring an end to hostilities and Israeli presence in southern Lebanon.
The negotiations are set to enter a second round later this week in Washington, following the first direct engagement between the two sides in decades.
The talks come after a 10-day truce, announced by US President Donald Trump, paused more than six weeks of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.
Aoun stressed that the purpose of the dialogue is to “stop hostilities, end the Israeli occupation of southern regions and deploy the (Lebanese) army all the way to the internationally recognised southern borders”.
He also reaffirmed Lebanon’s independent approach, saying previously: “We negotiate for ourselves… we are no longer a pawn in anyone’s game, nor an arena for anyone’s wars, and we never will be again.”
Bilateral negotiations
He added that “Going into direct bilateral negotiations, alone, amid deep Lebanese divisions and internal disagreements, constitutes a threat to internal consensus.”
Despite diplomatic efforts, tensions remain on the ground. Lebanese authorities reported Israeli strikes in southern areas, leaving several people wounded.
The UN Security Council also condemned an attack that killed a French peacekeeper and injured others, reaffirming its support for the UN mission in Lebanon.
Aoun said the country now faces a critical choice between continued conflict or negotiations to put an end to this war and achieve lasting stability.
“I have chosen negotiations, and I am full of hope that we will be able to save Lebanon,” he said.
