Aoun says: Talks with Israel 'crucial,' Lebanese Army’s role is 'essential' in South 'after Israel's withdrawal'

BEIRUT — Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said upcoming direct negotiations with Israel would be “delicate and crucial,” and called for “national responsibility” in the period ahead. “The eyes of the world are on Lebanon,” he said, addressing a delegation of Beirut MPs, according to a statement posted by the presidency on X.

Aoun said Lebanon aims through the negotiations to “consolidate the cease-fire, ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied southern territories, secure the release of prisoners, and address outstanding border disputes.”

“The cease-fire is the gateway to moving forward with negotiations, and it is an option that enjoys both local and international support,” he added. Without explicitly mentioning Hezbollah’s disarmament, Aoun said the Lebanese army would play an “essential role” after an Israeli withdrawal by deploying up to the southern international border, ending armed displays, and reassuring residents of the South following their return to their towns and villages. He added that “no armed force other than the army and legitimate security forces will be present.” He also welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s “support for Lebanon,” as well as the “Arab and international backing” the country is receiving.

FPM reiterates call for a 'national security plan'

The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), for its part, said the cease-fire between Lebanon and Israel “represents a crucial national opportunity that must be seized with the utmost responsibility, free from any political exploitation.” It called on the government to “define a clear strategy reaffirming the state’s exclusive authority over sovereignty, security and military decisions, and to take immediate steps to ensure the safe and dignified return of displaced people to southern Lebanon.” “This would prevent Israel from imposing a fait accompli by emptying the land of its inhabitants and would compel it to withdraw from occupied Lebanese territory,” the Aounist party added.

The FPM also stressed that “the responsibility for defending Lebanon and protecting its borders and sovereignty lies exclusively with the Lebanese state, which must hold a monopoly over decisions of war and peace and extend full control over the entire national territory.” “This entails Hezbollah handing over its weapons to the Lebanese army within a national framework that facilitates implementation. A national security plan must then be put in place to protect Lebanon, in exchange for international guarantees and U.N. decisions preventing any Israeli aggression,” the party continued.

‘What victory?’ ask LF

The Lebanese Forces (LF), meanwhile, sarcastically criticized Hezbollah’s attempt to portray the cease-fire as a “victory.” “Has what remains of Hezbollah completely lost its mind?” the party’s press office said, citing the “some 2,300 Lebanese killed, nearly 8,000 wounded, around 20 villages completely destroyed in the South, hundreds of homes razed, and thousands of apartments rendered uninhabitable.” It also pointed to the Israeli occupation of territory “to a depth of around 10 kilometers” and the country’s economic losses.