Joseph Aoun Says Lebanon Will Continue Direct Negotiations With Israel Despite Pressure

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon will continue direct negotiations with Israel despite pressure to withdraw, arguing the path is aimed at achieving what serves Lebanon's interests.

Aoun made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Culture and Freedom Foundation, headed by former Minister Ibrahim Najjar, in Beirut, according to a statement from the Lebanese Presidency on Thursday.

Al Jazeera

He demanded an end to Israeli hostilities based on "Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory, a cessation of attacks, the deployment of the (Lebanese) army, and the return of the displaced and prisoners."

Aoun added that Lebanon has informed US President Donald Trump of its position and said, "The decision to proceed with negotiations was made with conviction and in Lebanon's best interest," while Israeli attacks continued even as a ceasefire began on April 17.

TRT World said that since March 2 Israel has been carrying out an offensive on Lebanon that killed nearly 3,700 people and injured over 11,400 others as of Tuesday, according to official Lebanese figures.

As negotiations moved “war to the heart of power” on April 16, Libnanews described a “paradoxical scene” in central Beirut where the political significance of the US-sponsored negotiation triggered immediate internal proceedings.

Libnanews framed the core dispute as Joseph Aoun and Nawaf Salam claiming they are seeking a ceasefire to protect the country from wider escalation, while critics suspect the sequence could be used to change the internal balance and put pressure on Hezbollah.

Al-Monitor

In i24NEWS, the debate intensified over the possibility of a meeting between President Joseph Aoun and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with i24NEWS saying the United States was leading efforts to hold the meeting in Washington as a gateway to direct negotiations.

i24NEWS reported that Aoun rejected holding the meeting “at this time,” linking any such step to the necessity of reaching a comprehensive security agreement and halting Israeli attacks.

The same i24NEWS report said Nabih Berri rejected direct negotiations, insisting on mediation and international committees and stressing that halting military operations is a priority before any political path.

TRT World said the US, Lebanon, and Israel announced last week a declaration of intent after four rounds of talks in Washington, outlining a complete ceasefire by Hezbollah and the withdrawal of its members from areas south of the Litani River.

It added that Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem rejected the outcome, saying they were unacceptable to broad segments of the Lebanese population, while TRT World also said Israel penetrated more than 10 kilometres into Lebanese territory during the current offensive.

In Al Jazeera net, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem was quoted saying, “these direct negotiations and their outcomes are as if they do not exist for us, and do not concern us in the slightest. We are continuing our defensive resistance for Lebanon and its people,” and the outlet said he criticized Lebanese authorities for offering a “gratuitous humiliating concession.”

Al Jazeera net also quoted President Joseph Aoun responding that, “What we are doing is not treason; treason is committed by those who take their country to war to serve foreign interests,” and it said he demanded an end to the state of war with Israel through the armistice agreement.

The outlet warned that Lebanon could become caught between “two authorities,” with one negotiating and another refusing to accept that the talks belong to the field, as it described a clash between the state’s path and Hezbollah’s path.