Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Wednesday that the decision to negotiate was taken to avoid “the suffering and tragedies caused by war,” acknowledging that the talks are neither easy nor quick and face obstacles and difficulties, but remain “far better than war.”
اضافة اعلان
Speaking during a meeting with a delegation from the General Council of Maronites headed by Michel Matta, Aoun said the parties share the same objectives: “liberating the south, deploying the army to the border, recovering detainees, enabling residents to return and rebuilding.”
He said these objectives could not be achieved through war, based on what had become clear, leaving negotiations as the only option.
Aoun stressed that “building nations is a shared responsibility” and does not rest with one person or a single party, with each playing its role. He emphasized that “the national interest must remain the priority and rise above any personal interest” if the country is to recover.
Aoun said Lebanon’s youth and new generation are “the fundamental driving force wherever they are.” He added that lessons drawn from Lebanon’s history and the many crises it has experienced, particularly since 2019, demonstrate that “the resilience of the Lebanese people and their faith in their country have been the foundation of Lebanon’s ability to overcome difficulties and remain steadfast.”
The president said the government had begun addressing corruption, which he described as having been widespread for years.
“We are fighting a war against some among us who reject the concept of the state, while we want the state,” Aoun said.
He said the government had taken economic and financial reform measures that were “not sufficient,” but had nevertheless produced growth that authorities had expected to increase this year. “However, the war destroyed that hope,” he said, stressing that Lebanon remains resilient and that its institutions continue to function despite the challenges.
Lebanon and Israel reached a framework agreement on June 26 following five rounds of US-mediated negotiations. The agreement primarily calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from areas they occupy in southern Lebanon, alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army beginning in designated “pilot areas.”
The framework provides for a reciprocal and gradual process under which the Lebanese army would regain effective sovereign authority over all Lebanese territory, alongside the disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantling of their infrastructure. This would allow Israeli forces to redeploy outside Lebanese territory under security arrangements and verification mechanisms set out in a security annex with US support.
The latest war erupted after Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel in response to the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the beginning of the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
