Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun (left) with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi on May 19, 2025. (Credit: @LBpresidency/X)
BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday called for a return to the 1949 Armistice Agreement with Israel to secure peace along the southern border, during a joint press conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, according to a post by the Lebanese presidency on X.
In a televised interview aired Sunday night on Egyptian media, Aoun said Lebanon was working to establish a "non-war situation" with Israel but without entering into "direct talks" with Tel Aviv.
The 1949 Armistice Agreement, signed on March 23 of that year, was a U.N.-brokered cease-fire deal between Lebanon and Israel following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. It established a demarcation line and a peacekeeping framework under the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization.
Aoun is in Egypt for an official visit at the invitation of the Egyptian president.
Talks with Egyptian officials were also expected to include bilateral ties and coordination between the two countries. On regional matters, the two leaders were set to discuss the situation in Syria, President Donald Trump’s visit to the region, and the lifting of sanctions on Damascus.
During the news conference, Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel. He said the resolution helps preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“It is not in the interest of any Lebanese citizen — nor of any country or people in our region — to exclude themselves from a comprehensive and just peace process,” Aoun said, referencing the Arab Peace Initiative proposed by Saudi Arabia at the 2002 Arab League Summit in Beirut.
Indirect ties with Hezbollah, support for UNIFIL
Speaking Monday from Cairo, Aoun also said he maintains an “indirect relationship” with Hezbollah and expressed confidence that the party would eventually accept the state’s authority over all armed groups.
“We do not want confrontation over the state’s monopoly on weapons,” he said. “We must move quickly, but without skipping steps.”
Aoun stressed the importance of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.
“UNIFIL plays a critical role in halting hostile Israeli actions, restoring stability and security to southern Lebanon and the region, and ensuring the return of all Lebanese prisoners,” he said. “We call on the international community to assume its responsibilities and compel Israel to implement the Nov. 26 agreement reached under U.S. and French auspices, including full withdrawal from Lebanese territory up to the internationally recognized borders.”
Despite a cease-fire that began Nov. 27 between Hezbollah and Israel, the Israeli army maintains five positions in Lebanese territory, claiming it is waiting for the Lebanese Army to secure the area and neutralize Hezbollah.
Since the truce, Hezbollah has largely refrained from attacking Israel, except for one instance, while Israel has continued near-daily attacks on southern Lebanon and carried out three airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs. According to L’Orient Today’s tally, 159 people have been killed in the attacks.
"Intensive Efforts" by Cairo for Israeli Withdrawal
Sisi said Egypt is committed to supporting Lebanon's reconstruction efforts by offering its recognized expertise in the field. He affirmed that Cairo stands by Lebanon — whether in ensuring internal stability, safeguarding the state's full sovereignty, or confronting Israel’s repeated violations of Lebanese territory and its ongoing occupation of certain positions.
In this context, Sisi spoke of “intensive efforts and contacts with various regional and international parties to pressure Israel to withdraw immediately and unconditionally from all Lebanese territory, to respect the cease-fire agreement, and to fully and simultaneously implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 in a non-selective manner.”
He also reaffirmed “the firm stance of Egypt and Lebanon in support of the Palestinian cause and their rejection of any attempt at the forced displacement of Palestinians” from Gaza.
Regarding Syria, Sisi emphasized the need for “an inclusive political process during the transition period, while continuing the fight against terrorism and rejecting all forms of sectarianism or division.”
On Syria: Return of refugees, sanctions lifted
Aoun also reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to “the best possible relations” with neighboring Syria, especially concerning the issue of displaced Syrians.
“This is particularly important when it comes to ensuring the safe and dignified return of displaced Syrians to their homeland,” he said. “The Lebanese and Syrian governments must act swiftly, through the joint committees they agreed to form, to serve the interests of both nations and peoples.”
Lebanon currently hosts an estimated 1.5 million Syrians, including more than 755,000 registered with the United Nations. Lebanese officials frequently cite the refugee crisis as a major burden on the country's economy and infrastructure.
Some Lebanese political factions argue that humanitarian aid provided by the U.N. and other NGOs incentivizes Syrians to remain in Lebanon.
The pressure for repatriation has grown since March 6, when sectarian violence erupted in Syria — the deadliest since the country's political shift — resulting in massacres, particularly in Alawite-majority coastal areas. The U.N. says more than 21,000 Syrians have since fled to Lebanon.
Aoun welcomed the announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday that the United States will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria.
Speaking from Saudi Arabia, Trump said the sanctions had “served an important function” but that it was time for Syria “to move forward.”
Washington designated Syria a state sponsor of terrorism in 1979. Sanctions were tightened in 2004 and again after the start of the civil war in 2011.
Beirut port blast must be resolved, Aoun says
Speaking about the 2020 Beirut port explosion, Aoun said the case “must be closed without delay,” and voiced support for investigative judge Tarek Bitar, who is continuing the probe.
During his Cairo visit, Aoun is also scheduled to meet the Sheikh of al-Azhar, Ahmed el-Tayeb, the highest Sunni authority in Egypt, who heads the mosque and university of the same name. He will also be received by Coptic Pope Tawadros II and meet Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.
Aoun visited the al-Azhar Grand Mosque in the afternoon, where he was met by the institution's Grand Imam, the highest authority in Cairo-based Sunni Islam.
“Lebanon is in the heart of every Arab and every Egyptian,” said the grand imam, claiming to have seen in the election of the Lebanese president "a sign of hope."
“Al-Azhar stands by the Lebanese people and the unity of its territory”, he added, hoping that "all Lebanese will rally around President Aoun."
“We support all the positions you adopt, particularly those relating to the liberation of the territories,” he stated.
“The region needs wise men like the Grand Imam. We hope to see you soon in Beirut to strengthen the ties between Lebanon and al-Azhar,” Aoun said.
Aoun also visited the headquarters of the League of Arab States in Cairo, where he was welcomed by Secretary General Ahmad Aboul Gheit. The latter praised the “success” of the president since his accession to the supreme magistracy.
“These successes have left a positive impression on Arab countries, which have expressed a sincere interest in Lebanon and a willingness to help,” he said.
President Aoun praised “the Secretary General's role in energizing the work of the Arab League and strengthening solidarity between its member states.”
He also thanked Aboul Gheit for “the support given to Lebanon during the successive crises it has experienced.”
The Lebanese president concluded his visit to Cairo and returned to Beirut after visiting the papal headquarters of the Coptic Church.
“It is a great joy to see you assume the presidency. We support and encourage your efforts to help Lebanon recover,” Egyptian Patriarch Tawadros II, Primate of the Coptic Orthodox Church, told Aoun.
Aoun said that “any difference of opinion in Lebanon is legitimate and can be dealt with,” adding that “dialogue is the remedy for all differences,” according to the Lebanese presidency.
