BEIRUT – Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called Friday for turning a freshly inked ceasefire into lasting accords that safeguard his nation’s rights, land unity, and sovereignty, amid hints at direct negotiations with Israel.
In his debut address since the U.S.-mediated truce halted six weeks of clashes between Israel and Hezbollah—the Iran-supported militia, Aoun urged a shift “from ceasefire efforts to permanent agreements.” The pact mandates direct Israel-Lebanon talks aimed at forging peace between them.
Aoun expressed gratitude to U.S. President Donald Trump and supportive regional states for clinching the deal. “We now enter a new phase,” he declared on television, stressing negotiations as no “weakness, retreat, or concession.”
Hezbollah swiftly rebuked the government for endorsing such talks, which the group rejects outright. Sidestepping Israel’s name except to demand an end to its strikes and troop pullout from southern Lebanon, Aoun vowed full accountability for his stance. Israel’s defense chief countered that forces would keep razing Hezbollah-linked homes in the south.
Declaring Lebanon done as a pawn in others’ conflicts, echoing barbs at Iran and Hezbollah, who ignited the fray with rockets into Israel on March 2, Aoun warned off those “gambling with our fate.” “Enough!” he exclaimed.
Trump announced plans Thursday to host Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, though no timeline emerged. Such a summit could mark a breakthrough after decades of enmity.