Lebanon's Aoun calls for sustained US support after peace deal

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has called on the United States to maintain its support for Lebanon's institutions, army, and people, following a recent U.S.-brokered framework agreement aimed at permanently ending hostilities with Israel. The deal, negotiated in Washington, proposes Hezbollah's disarmament and a phased Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, with the Lebanese army set to deploy in designated areas.

However, Hezbollah has reportedly rejected the framework, as it lacks a specific timeline for Israel's withdrawal. President Aoun, in a message to President Donald Trump marking U.S. Independence Day, expressed hope that Lebanon could "turn the page on wars… and open a new page of hope, peace and stability." The U.S. embassy in Lebanon echoed this sentiment, stating its pride in standing with the Lebanese people as they forge a "brighter future."

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keep always standing beside Lebanon’s right and just causes, its institutions, army and people

Lebanon was drawn into the recent conflict after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran's supreme leader. Israel responded with extensive airstrikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon. While a ceasefire took effect on June 21 and the framework deal was agreed upon shortly after, sporadic Israeli strikes persist in the south.

Despite the ceasefire, the National News Agency reported an Israeli strike on the village of Mansouri that wounded one person, alongside artillery shelling elsewhere. Lebanese authorities are developing plans, including prefabricated housing and rent assistance, to help the over 640,000 displaced people who have returned home since June 22. The war has resulted in approximately 4,300 deaths and displaced over a million people.

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it is with great pride that we stand with the people of Lebanon as they forge a brighter future, one of peace, prosperity, and promise long overdue