French Ambassador to Lebanon Patrick Durel (left) watches Lebanese President Joseph Aoun (center) greet French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot before a meeting at the presidential palace in Baabda, October 17, 2026. (Credit: Anwar Amro/AFP)
President Joseph Aoun said a Lebanese military delegation would take part in a tripartite meeting in Tampa, Florida, on Oct. 20, to present Lebanon’s demands for an end to Israeli escalation in the south, according to a statement published by the Lebanese presidency on X on Sunday.
Aoun made the remarks Saturday during a meeting at Baabda Palace with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and a French delegation.
The president denounced Israel’s continued attacks on southern Lebanese towns and villages, the demolition of homes and restrictions on farmers’ access to their land. He also accused Israel of failing to respect the framework agreement reached under U.S. auspices, according to the presidency.
Aoun expressed hope that the Tampa meeting would produce “results in line with the framework agreement,” which was signed by Lebanese and Israeli delegations in June, the statement said.
Talks between Lebanon and Israel have been stalled since August, after the first stage of the Israeli army’s withdrawal was completed in Zawtar Gharbieh, in the Nabatieh area. Israeli attacks and demolitions in southern Lebanon have continued since then.
Israel has criticized the Lebanese army over what it describes as insufficient progress in disarming Hezbollah. Lebanese officials, meanwhile, have accused Israel of continuing attacks and destruction in the south despite the ceasefire agreement, while Hezbollah has not resumed military operations since the ceasefire.
The talks are taking place ahead of Israel’s parliamentary elections, scheduled for Oct. 27. On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in an interview with Israeli media that he “does not trust the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah,” adding that his ultimate goal “is to eliminate Hezbollah.”
Clashes continued in Paris on Saturday as protests against the high cost of living drew hundreds of thousands of people across France, six months ahead of the presidential election.
More than 500 people were arrested or detained in the capital, while the demonstrations were accompanied by looting, vandalism and clashes that the government strongly condemned.
In Paris, 13 police officers and gendarmes and two firefighters were injured, according to the police prefecture, which reported the presence of “violent groups” ranging in size from 500 to more than 1,000 people. The Paris mayor’s office criticized what it described as insufficient police resources available to the city. In Limoges, firefighters brought a blaze at the historic town hall under control. Significant damage was also reported in Lyon.
- Raggi calls on Iran and its allies to stop attacks on Gulf countries: Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to UN Security Council Resolution 2817, which calls for an immediate halt to such attacks, during a speech Sunday at the 52nd session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Iraq. While condemning Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon, Raggi also called on Tehran to stop interfering in Lebanon’s internal affairs.
- Saudi Arabia urges Kingdom Centre employees to work remotely: Saudi authorities have asked employees at Riyadh’s Kingdom Centre to work remotely. The landmark tower houses, among other offices, the regional office of the International Monetary Fund. The measure comes amid continued Houthi attacks. Fighting has also continued near Taiz, in southwestern Yemen, while Riyadh reported the deaths of two pilots in an incident near the Yemeni border.
- Iran appoints defense minister eight months into the war: Tehran has appointed Mehrdad Akhlaghi as defense minister for the first time since the war began eight months ago, according to the report. Akhlaghi is subject to United Nations sanctions. “Let everyone be reassured: They, the Americans, will most certainly not dare to attack us. But if they do, they will expose themselves, as well as the region, to considerable damage,” he told reporters.
