President Joseph Aoun meets with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis in Athens on Aug. 31, 2026. (Credit: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun urged all Lebanese factions to "return to the State" on the 106th anniversary of Greater Lebanon's declaration. The call comes as authorities seek to reestablish their monopoly on weapons after two wars in three years between Hezbollah and Israel.
In a message on X, the head of state said, "Despite difficulties and conflicts, Lebanon has continued to exist and is resuming its role among nations." He believes the authorities' "bet" today is to "end wars, preserve sovereignty, and commit to building the State and its institutions, as well as reviving the economy and activity." For him, "this can only be achieved through the return of all to the State, which is the sole reference for all Lebanese, united by the National Pact as a unifying principle, guaranteeing diversity in unity."
Aoun also recalled that the creation of Greater Lebanon "made the Lebanese idea a reality by creating a political entity that brought together the various Lebanese factions and enshrined in the Constitution a State with a mission."
In recent days, Aoun has intensified his calls to Hezbollah, which refuses to hand over its weapons to the State as long as the Israeli army continues to occupy about 620 square kilometers of southern Lebanon and to carry out daily attacks and systematic demolitions in the occupied zone.
Israel refuses to withdraw until the militia-party has disarmed.
The United States, which is sponsoring direct negotiations between Beirut and Tel Aviv, has made it clear since last week that Hezbollah must be willing to surrender its arsenal before Washington "tries to bring the points of view closer."
Last Thursday, Aoun mentioned in a speech an "internal conflict" currently taking place in Lebanon between those who want the State to recover and for institutions to function, and those who want to "take advantage of the absence of the State."
The State of Greater Lebanon was proclaimed on Sept. 1, 1920, with borders extending beyond Mount Lebanon to encompass the territory that makes up present-day Lebanon, reaching Tripoli and Akkar in the North, the region of Sour in the South, and the Bekaa Valley in the East.
General Henri Gouraud, representing the French mandatory authority over Syria, issued the proclamation from the steps of the Pine Residence in Beirut. Lebanon was not declared independent until Nov. 22, 1943, after the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I in 1918 and under the French mandate.
