Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that negotiations with Israel are the "only way" to achieve the country's national interests, and stressed that the army has a "fateful mission" to assert its control over all Lebanese territory. "I say that the mission of our army is fateful in these circumstances because it alone, without a partner, must extend the authority of our state over all its lands and borders, so that the Israeli attacks on our land cease, and Israel withdraws from the points it occupies inside Lebanon," Aoun said at a joint press conference with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in Beirut. "This must be accompanied by a negotiation path, which we consider the only way to achieve our national goals and Lebanon's supreme interest," he added. Aoun noted that Lebanon has negotiated with Israel more than ten times, most recently in 2022 to demarcate the maritime border, and last year to end the war with Hezbollah and ensure arms are exclusively in the hands of the state. Israel still controls positions in southern Lebanon, despite a cessation of hostilities agreement reached a year ago after a war with Hezbollah. It also continues to launch attacks in the east and south of the country. "Today, we reviewed the situation in our region, especially after the Gaza agreement, which we support and whose sponsors we commend," Aoun said, calling for the full implementation of the Gaza deal and for its expansion to include other unresolved crises in order to achieve comprehensive peace. Israeli 'aggressions' On Sunday, the Lebanese president said the army was working to pursue "terrorist cells" in the country and stressed the need to pressure Israel to stop its "continuous aggressions" against Lebanon. This, he said, was necessary to complete the army's deployment to the southern border and to implement the plan to restrict weapons to state control. In a meeting with a delegation from the U.S. Treasury Department, Aoun said that the negotiation option, which is supported by the United States, requires a suitable climate, demanding a halt to hostilities and the achievement of stability in the south, according to a statement from his office. The president called for pressure on Israel to abide by U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and the agreement reached last year in order to activate the plan for the Lebanese army's deployment in the south. The U.S. delegation affirmed Washington's readiness to assist Lebanon in its quest for security and stability, to support the army in extending state authority, and to enable legitimate security forces to fully carry out their role.
