Aoun: Lebanon has no choice but to negotiate with Israel

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday that Lebanon has no option but negotiation, a clear reference to Israel, as U.S. and Israeli pressure for direct talks grows increasingly insistent.

"Lebanon has no choice but negotiation, because in politics there are three fields of action: diplomacy, economy and war. When war leads to no result, what else can be done? All the wars in the world have ended in negotiations, and negotiations are not held with a friend or ally but with an enemy," he emphasized at the Baabda Presidential Palace during a meeting with a delegation from the Khalil family.

"I'm not a politician, I'm a statesman. Some people consider Lebanon their property, but I consider myself the property of Lebanon," he added.

Israel proposed direct negotiations a few months ago, but Beirut refused.

Today, the proposal is again on the table amid threats of large-scale military operations.

Lebanon appears ready to engage in talks to avoid escalation, but Israel may not settle for that and could seek negotiations under fire, aiming to force Hezbollah's disarmament and impose a new political reality.

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack once again raised the pressure on Saturday, urging Lebanese leaders to negotiate with Israel on their shared border and to ensure that the state has a monopoly on arms, saying Lebanon "is running out of time."

For his part, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem categorically rejected any new agreement with Israel.