ISF officers in front of the courthouse in Beirut. (Credit: Hassan Ammar/AFP File Photo)
BEIRUT —Marking the 165th anniversary of the Internal Security Forces (ISF), President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday that he envisions a state free of “mini-states” where the rule of law prevails and the ISF serve as citizens’ “shield and safe refuge,” according to a statement from the Lebanese Presidency.
Congratulating the ISF, Aoun praised the role it plays alongside other military and security forces in "carrying a heavy and honorable responsibility: protecting citizens, safeguarding the nation, and reinforcing the rule of law."
"In the darkest and most difficult circumstances, the ...ISF have proven, together with their fellow soldiers, that they are a solid barrier standing between the Lebanese people and chaos, and between the nation and collapse", he said.
The President also paid tribute to the "souls of the martyrs who fell in the fields of honor and duty."
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on Monday that Israel has killed 47 members of Lebanon's security services since the resumption of the war between Hezbollah and Israel on March 2, including three among the ISF.
In January the EU provided a grant of 30 million euros, dedicated to "strengthen the capacities of the ISF to combat organized crime and cybercrime, while supporting all security agencies in counterterrorism efforts, including addressing terrorism financing and smuggling." Reuters had reported in December that the EU aims to strengthen the ISF so the Lebanese Army can concentrate on disarming Hezbollah.
The ISF serves as the police in Lebanon. Like all other security services and the army, they were severely affected by the crisis since 2019, especially due to the depreciation of the national currency, which has rendered their salaries worthless. Thousands of security officers have deserted their posts over the years. However, the current government has committed to improving their living conditions.
