Aoun says ceasefire gateway for 'crucial' talks with Israel
President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that direct negotiations with Israel were crucial, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel and an upcoming meeting between their leaders.
"Direct negotiations are crucial... and a ceasefire is the gateway to proceeding with negotiations," Aoun said in a statement shared by the presidency, reiterating that Beirut's goal was to "consolidate a ceasefire, secure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied southern territories, recover prisoners, and address outstanding border disputes".
Details of the truce agreement shared by the U.S. State Department did not mention the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
"The ceasefire is the gateway to proceeding with negotiations. It's an option supported both locally and internationally, most notably by U.S. President Donald Trump who voiced in yesterday's phone call his support for Lebanon, its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity," Aoun said.
"The United States is also standing by the Lebanese people to end their suffering, restore their well-being, and reactivate the economy, which was negatively impacted by the recent war."
Aoun said the Lebanese Army will play a fundamental role following the withdrawal of Israeli forces, deploying across the entirety of Lebanon's internationally recognized southern borders. "This aims to reassure Southerners, upon their return to their villages and towns, that there will be no armed forces other than the Army and legitimate security forces."
He added that the Lebanese, "who have endured much in recent years, now face a new reality backed by the international community and Arab countries. This is an opportunity we must not waste, as it may not happen again."
Source: Naharnet, Agence France Presse
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