Lebanon's Aoun laments lack of progress on ceasefire, IDF ...

Lebanon’s Aoun laments lack of progress on ceasefire, IDF withdrawal, urges European support for Lebanese army

Nava Freiberg is The Times of Israel's deputy diplomatic correspondent.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says progress on key issues with Israel — namely a ceasefire, IDF withdrawal, border demarcation, and prisoner releases — has yet to materialize, a week after the latest round of US-mediated talks.

Speaking during a meeting with Germany’s minister for economic cooperation and development, Aoun calls for an end to Israeli strikes in Lebanon, warning that they undermine stability, according to an Arabic-language post from the presidency. The remarks come after a Lebanese military delegation presented Beirut’s demands for an end to Israeli military operations in Lebanon at a working-level trilateral meeting in Tampa, Florida, last week.

Aoun says the Lebanese state and army are prepared to address security concerns through “official mechanisms and established coordination channels” rather than military action, while urging greater European support for the Lebanese Armed Forces.

Lebanese officials have said continued Israeli strikes were hampering Beirut’s efforts to disarm Hezbollah, while Israel has argued that the Lebanese army has not yet proved capable of assuming the security role envisioned under their US-backed ceasefire agreement.

Aoun has also been voicing concerns about a security vacuum forming in southern Lebanon following the expected expiration of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon’s mandate later this year, and has said he would welcome international efforts to prevent it.

The Times of Israel Community.