Lebanese President Joseph Aoun declared on Monday that Israel’s complete military withdrawal from southern Lebanon is a “non-negotiable" prerequisite, even as Beirut finalizes preparations for a new round of US-mediated diplomatic talks with Jerusalem.
According to a report by the pan-Arab, London-based newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Aoun used the anniversary of Israel’s historical withdrawal from the region in 2000 to sharply criticize ongoing Israeli counter-terror operations against Hezbollah.
“This year, the anniversary of the liberation comes as Lebanon is weighed down by a painful reality," Aoun asserted in an official statement. “Israeli attacks have not stopped, and our dear southern villages are still suffering under a renewed occupation," he claimed.
Conspicuously absent from the Lebanese leader’s address was any mention of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorist organization, whose relentless, unprovoked rocket and drone barrages targeting northern Israeli communities directly necessitated the IDF’s defensive incursions across the frontier.
A temporary ceasefire framework has technically been in effect since April 17 in Lebanon, and was recently extended for several weeks, but the IDF has been forced to continue striking Hezbollah targets as the terrorist group continues to violate the ceasefire.
“Lebanon will not accept this reality," Aoun insisted on Monday, framing a total Israeli retreat as a “constant national demand" that his administration intends to push for at the bargaining table.
Despite the volatile security climate on the ground, rare bilateral talks between the neighboring states were initiated last month under American mediation. A fourth consecutive round of diplomacy is anticipated to convene in early June, closely following a high-level coordination meeting between respective military delegations scheduled for May 29 at the Pentagon.
After the initial April 23 meeting which was attended by Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, and Lebanon’s Ambassador to the US, Nada Hamadeh Moawad, President Donald Trump expressed hope that a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon would be possible this year.
Trump also said he hopes to host a meeting between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Aoun in Washington within the next few weeks.
Aoun has made clear that a high-level summit with Netanyahu is currently out of the question, stressing that the cessation of hostilities must be the primary focus before any direct political engagement can be considered.