President Michel Aoun said Monday that a withdrawal of the Israeli army from the five points still occupied in southern Lebanon is essential for "the state alone" to assume responsibility for border security, as is the case with the Lebanese-Syrian border, where the troops "fully fulfill their duty."

The Israeli army entered southern Lebanon in late September and only withdrew in mid-February, at the end of the cease-fire terms, except for five elevated positions deemed "strategic" by Israel. Lebanon demands daily that the Israelis withdraw from these positions, asking France and the United States, guarantors of the truce agreement, to exert pressure for this withdrawal and to stop Israeli strikes on Lebanon. These Israeli strikes and artillery have killed 149 people, according to our count, since the beginning of the cease-fire in late November 2024. The U.N. said in mid-April that 71 civilians had been killed by Israel in Lebanon since that date.

Fight against smuggling and terrorism

Meeting a delegation of French senators in Baabda Palace, the president stated that "the Israeli withdrawal from the five hills is necessary to accelerate the army's deployment to the border so that the state alone assumes border security responsibilities," according to statements published on the presidency's X account. He added that the Lebanese Army was deployed at its northeastern border, adjacent to Syria, where it "fully fulfills its duties, fights against terrorism, prevents smuggling operations, and ensures internal security." This deployment has, among other things, recently prevented tensions between clans presumably close to Hezbollah living along the border and the Syrian security forces following deadly clashes in March.

An incident that occurred last Thursday and was quickly contained erupted in Hermel, northeast Lebanon, after gunfire from Lebanon tied to smuggling operations and a Syrian response that resulted in injuries. The army subsequently announced that it had arrested the person suspected of being behind the gunfire from Lebanese territory and had implemented reinforced "security measures" in the area, where the entire border is not officially delineated. On this subject, the president announced the formation of "Lebanese-Syrian joint committees to address pending issues, including border demarcation, as well as the situation of Syrians present in Lebanon for economic reasons."

Fight against corruption

"The monopoly of weapons in the hands of the Lebanese state is a decision that has been made, and it is not permissible to return to the rhetoric of war," Aoun stated. This limitation of weapon possession to the hands of the state and the army implies the disarmament of Hezbollah, which the latter refuses under current conditions, advocating for a "dialogue on a defense strategy" once Israel has withdrawn from Lebanon.

Regarding reforms, crucial for obtaining international aid, and a few days after the passing of a banking secrecy law, the president stated that they "respond first to an internal need in Lebanon before being a demand" of the international community. Among these reforms, "the fight against corruption is essential," he said.

"What we seek through all our actions is the construction of the state and the restoration of trust, both within and outside the country," Aoun stated.

This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour.