Aoun: We will not withdraw from negotiations with Israel

BEIRUT — President Joseph Aoun asserted Thursday that Lebanon will not withdraw from negotiations with Israel, despite "the pressures" exerted to that end, and as attacks between Hezbollah and Israel continue despite a theoretical cease-fire.

"We must be convinced that we are a sovereign state. Despite the pressures aimed at making us quit the negotiations, we will not withdraw and we will continue our path until we achieve results that serve the interest of our country," Aoun emphasized during a meeting with the founders of the association "Culture and Liberty."

"We are demanding an end to the state of hostility with Israel by meeting the following points: Israeli withdrawal, the cessation of aggression, deployment of the Lebanese army, and the return of the displaced and prisoners," he added, according to the Lebanese presidency.

'The military option has proven ineffective'

On Wednesday, Foreign Minister Joe Rajji also argued in favor of continuing the talks. While visiting France, he stated in an interview with French channel LCI that direct negotiations with Israel were "the most effective" way to end the war, before calling for an end to making a distinction between "the political and military wings of Hezbollah," whom he accuses of hampering these negotiations.

Investigation

‘The Israelis are embarrassed’: How a Lebanese fighter managed to cross the border before being killed

"Direct negotiations between the Lebanese government and Israel are the only possible path to restore peace in Lebanon. The military option has proven ineffective," the Lebanese foreign minister said in this interview, while praising "the rare courage" shown by Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam in opening this diplomatic channel with Tel Aviv.

The minister, a member of the Lebanese Forces (LF) party and a fierce opponent of Hezbollah, also insisted that continuing to "distinguish between the political and military wings" of Hezbollah was "absolutely not realistic." "Hezbollah is a whole. It is an illegal organization in Lebanon, it is an armed wing of Iran, which Iran uses to control Lebanon and destabilize the Middle East," he said.

A cease-fire agreement was reached at the end of the fourth round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel in Washington, on June 2 and 3. The Parliament Speaker, Nabih Berri, along with his ally Hezbollah, rejected this agreement, calling it "unjust." Hezbollah is firmly opposed to the principle of direct negotiations with the Jewish state, and has repeatedly criticized President Aoun. The delegations of both countries are scheduled to meet again on June 22.