Aoun meets EU Human Rights envoy, urges pressure on Israel to 'halt aggression'

President Joseph Aoun met the European Union’s Special Representative for Human Rights, Kajsa Ollongren, at the Baabda Presidential Palace on Friday, calling on the EU to deepen its support for Lebanon and urging it to "pressure Israel to halt its aggression on Lebanon," the Lebanese Presidency said in a post on X.

Aoun emphasized that Lebanon "welcomes any support" from the EU, especially with the planned withdrawal of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) by 2027.

In August, the U.N. Security Council extended UNIFIL's mandate until the end of 2026, setting the stage for a withdrawal to be completed by December 2026. For the first time in decades, southern Lebanon would be without the "Blue Helmets."

Addressing ongoing Israeli attacks, Aoun stressed that "the international community, particularly the European Union, should exert pressure on Israel to force it to stop its attacks on Lebanon and to comply with the agreement to end hostilities." He added, "We remain committed to fully implementing the ceasefire agreement," while lamenting continued Israeli violations.

The U.S. brokered a truce in November 2024 between Lebanon and Israel after more than a year of war sparked by the war on Gaza. Israeli strikes on Lebanon, particularly in the South and the Bekaa, have continued regardless.

On defense, the president reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment "to implementing the government’s decision on the exclusivity of arms," meaning that only the Lebanese state should bear arms across its territory.

He underlined that Europe has a key interest in strengthening the Lebanese Army, saying, "Maintaining Lebanon’s security and stability is maintaining Europe’s security and stability."

Lebanon is struggling to implement the government decisions of Aug. 5 and 7 aimed at disarming militias, notably Hezbollah, which still rejects this option. Meanwhile, the risk of Israeli military escalation looms over the country.

'Reforms are a Lebanese demand before being an international one'

On domestic matters, Aoun stressed that reforms are “a Lebanese demand before being an international one” and reaffirmed the importance of timely elections: “My position is clear: Elections must take place in due time.”

Aoun, along with local actors and the international community, has repeatedly called for the May 2026 elections to be held on time without postponement.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Wednesday that reform efforts undertaken by his government. "Lebanon remains a country of promising opportunities. We have begun a series of reforms, but we still have a long way to go, and it is essential to continue," he stated.