Aoun: Time for army to resume mission, be sole security authority in South

The Lebanese president, Joseph Aoun, declared Tuesday that it is "high time for the Lebanese Army to resume its mission and be the sole authority over security in southern Lebanon," calling on all parties to rally around the military and security forces, warning that otherwise all Lebanese would lose out.

"It is high time for the army to again take on its mission and be the only authority responsible for security in the South. Everyone must rally around it and the security forces, otherwise the loss will be general," he emphasized in remarks broadcast by the presidency, referring to the "suffering of the inhabitants of the south," as he received representatives Tuesday morning at the Baabda Presidential Palace from the municipalities of Marjayoun, Qlaya, Burj al-Muluk, Ibl al-Saqi, Deir Mimas, and Kawkaba, as well as local officials, church members, and Muslim clerics.

The head of state noted that the South of the country is exhausted, and the entirety of Lebanon is also affected. "It is time for the South – and with it Lebanon – to restore calm," he said, assuring that he is "continuing efforts to end the state of war so that a lasting peace – not a temporary one – may be established."

He specified that his actions are aimed at "the interest of all Lebanese and not just one group," and reaffirmed that "the path of negotiations [direct talks with Israel under U.S. auspices] is now the only option after all other solutions, especially war, have been exhausted."

The Lebanese president had earlier stated that a third meeting was to take place in Washington "in the coming days," once again at the level of the Lebanese and Israeli ambassadors in the United States. The two have already met twice during April for direct preparatory sessions, intended to define the framework for negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv.

But Hezbollah categorically rejects the principle of direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, preferring instead indirect talks, as was the case during negotiations over the maritime border between the two countries in 2022.

"Hatred does not build states or nations" and the Lebanese have "no choice but to live together," the Lebanese president further emphasized. He was referring to the intensifying hate speech on social media and in the streets, linked to the deep division in the country between the pro-Iranian Hezbollah camp, which has engaged Lebanon in armed conflict with Israel, and pro-Western Lebanese who support the heads of state and government for a state monopoly on weapons and for direct negotiations with Israel.

The updated casualty toll in Lebanon since March 2, the date of Hezbollah's entry into the regional war alongside Iran, stands at 2,696 killed and 8,264 wounded by Israeli strikes.

"Those who stoke sectarian and communal tensions will not succeed, and whoever acts in this way is giving Israel a free gift," Aoun insisted, assuring that civil peace is a red line and that the people and the majority of officials are sufficiently aware of this issue.

Aoun also expressed his support for the residents of the South, saluting "their resilience" despite the difficult conditions, as well as their attachment to their land.

Aoun condemns drone attack on the Emirates

Aoun also condemned the bombing of the United Arab Emirates, a "brother country," calling the attack a "serious violation of its sovereignty, security and stability, and an affront to human values and international law," following drone strikes attributed to Iran against the Fujairah oil site that left three injured, all Indian nationals.

"President Aoun expressed Lebanon’s full solidarity with the United Arab Emirates, its leaders, and its people in the face of these challenges, reiterating his support for all measures taken by the United Arab Emirates to protect its security and preserve its sovereignty," the statement from the Lebanese presidency emphasized.

The president, who did not mention Iran, stressed "the deep and historic fraternal relations that unite Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates, relations founded on mutual respect and close cooperation, expressing his unwavering commitment to strengthening these ties for the good and interest of both sister nations."

While receiving the families of the five Civil Defense rescuers killed in southern Lebanon during Israeli attacks, in the presence of the institution’s director general, General Imad Khreiss, Aoun condemned the ongoing Israeli attacks against Lebanon, noting with regret that they now target civilians and rescuers, in blatant violation of international laws and conventions.