Lebanon-Israel talks progressing, Aoun insists on full Israeli withdrawal

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that negotiations with Israel are moving forward, while firmly reiterating Lebanon's non-negotiable demand for a complete Israeli withdrawal from all Lebanese territory. Speaking to a delegation from the Maronite Foundation in the World, Aoun stressed his commitment to rebuilding the state, despite facing opposition.

“

There is no disagreement among the Lebanese on the goals, from the Israeli withdrawal and the return of the prisoners to the reconstruction of what has been destroyed.

Aoun highlighted that diplomacy offers a more constructive path than a return to destructive conflict. He noted that a framework agreement has helped reduce the scale of Israeli attacks on Lebanon, encouraging more Lebanese to return for the summer. However, securing a full Israeli withdrawal and the return of Lebanese prisoners remain paramount objectives in the ongoing talks.

“

In the end, we will not allow Israel to remain on even a single inch of our land, nor will we allow a single Israeli soldier to remain on our soil.

"In the end, we will not allow Israel to remain on even a single inch of our land, nor will we allow a single Israeli soldier to remain on our soil," Aoun declared. He directly challenged the traditional view that territorial gains made by force can only be reversed through further military action, pointing to the current diplomatic process as evidence of an alternative approach.

“

We always hear slogans saying that what is taken by force will only be recovered by force, but the facts on the ground have proven the falsehood of this saying.

Aoun expressed his belief that residents of southern Lebanon deserve peace and the opportunity to live on their land without the constant threat of conflict. "It is time for the son of the South to rest and settle on his land, rather than allowing wars to continue to be waged in his name for non-Lebanese objectives," he stated. Israeli and Lebanese officials are scheduled to continue their discussions in September.

“

It is time for the son of the South to rest and settle on his land, rather than allowing wars to continue to be waged in his name for non-Lebanese objectives.