Hajjar: Aoun's Washington visit strengthened international trust in Lebanon

Interior Minister Ahmad Hajjar reaffirmed Friday, following a meeting with President Joseph Aoun at Baabda Presidential Palace, his support for the head of state's efforts, while welcoming the "positive atmosphere" surrounding the president's visit to Washington. According to Hajjar, the visit "reflects the consolidation of the international community's trust in Lebanon and its legitimate institutions."

"We expressed our satisfaction with the positive atmosphere surrounding President Aoun's visit to Washington, the warm welcome and the praise he received," the minister said.

While several senior officials and lawmakers praised the head of state's initiative and its potential outcomes, Hezbollah described the visit as a "failure," accusing the authorities of leading Lebanon "down a dead-end path marked by successive concessions" that undermine "the sovereignty of the state" and reflect "its dependence on and subservience to foreign guardianship."

For Hajjar, "the historic summit" between President Joseph Aoun and his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, at the White House constituted "a pivotal moment in Lebanese-American relations" and "a clear message of support for Lebanon."

He also affirmed his "support for the national efforts led by President Aoun to protect Lebanon, preserve its sovereignty and extricate it from the imposed war, with the aim of securing an Israeli withdrawal and extending state authority over all Lebanese territory."

President Aoun also received Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Defense Minister Michel Menassa in the morning. Menassa briefed the head of state on measures taken to continue the deployment of the Lebanese Army in several towns and villages in southern Lebanon, as well as on the military's needs.

The framework agreement concluded on June 26 between Lebanon and Israel, following the first direct negotiations between the two countries in decades, calls for a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, conditioned on the deployment of the Lebanese Army and the dismantling of Hezbollah's infrastructure in "pilot zones."

Implementation of the agreement began Monday, with army units deploying in two of these areas in the central sector of southern Lebanon, in the villages of Srifa and Froun, where Israeli forces were not present, as well as in Zawtar Gharbieh, north of the Litani River, which had come under fire from Israeli troops stationed nearby.