Beirut: Lebanese President General Michel Aoun affirmed that negotiation remains key to restoring stability in southern Lebanon and across the country, noting that continued aggression will achieve no results.
According to Qatar News Agency, President Aoun made the remarks during his meeting with the French President's Advisor, Anne-Claire Legendre. He highlighted that the Lebanese Army's full deployment in the south of the Litani River up to the international border remains hindered by the ongoing Israeli occupation of Lebanese territory, continued hostile actions, and non-implementation of the agreement announced in November 2024.
Despite these obstacles, he stressed that the Lebanese Army continues operations in the areas it has deployed south of the Litani, focusing on confiscating weapons and ammunition, inspecting tunnels and storage sites, and asserting full state authority, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the security plan devised by the Army Command at the request of the Lebanese government.
President Aoun emphasized that the Army is implementing its orders precisely, contrary to Israeli campaigns aimed at undermining its capacity and role, which enjoys the support of all Lebanese citizens. He welcomed any European participation in maintaining stability after the UNIFIL withdrawal, in coordination with the Army, whose numbers are expected to rise to 10,000 personnel by the end of this year.