Lebanon's president says regional developments, Israeli elections slowed war talks

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Thursday that regional and international developments, along with Israeli elections, may have slowed negotiations to end Israel’s war against Lebanon, but stressed that the talks have not stopped, according to a statement from the Lebanese presidency. Aoun made the remarks while receiving a delegation of third-year and master’s students in media studies from the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik at the Baabda presidential palace east of Beirut. He said contacts led by Lebanon’s Ambassador to Washington, Nada Mouawad, and the US administration continued in an effort to move the negotiating process forward. “There is no third option between war and negotiations,” he said. “If anyone has another option, let them tell me.” “Wars usually end either with one side achieving an overwhelming victory that forces the other to surrender, or through negotiations,” said the president. “The goal we are working toward is to stop the war, achieve an Israeli withdrawal, save and rebuild the south, secure the return of prisoners and displaced people, and prevent the war from expanding to all Lebanese territory,” Aoun added. He argued that without negotiations, Israeli attacks would have reached Beirut and public facilities. Direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel began April 14, with a US-sponsored meeting in Washington, with subsequent rounds addressing a ceasefire, withdrawal, borders, prisoners and missing persons. On June 26, Beirut and Tel Aviv signed a US-sponsored “framework formula” in Washington providing for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the deployment of the Lebanese army in areas vacated by Israeli forces. Despite the agreement, Israeli attacks on southern Lebanon have continued. Israel remains in control of areas in the south, some occupied for decades and others seized during recent wars and military operations. Since March 2, Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 4,386 people, injured 12,413 and displaced more than 1 million, according to Lebanese authorities. Separately, Aoun stressed the importance of accurate reporting and warned against using journalism to blackmail people or pursue personal and financial interests. “The media is a weapon that can build or destroy,” he said, urging journalism students to uphold professional ethics and not use their work to serve private interests. Aoun said he remained committed to freedom of expression and the press but added that “there is no absolute freedom, because then it turns into chaos,” saying national security sets the limits of freedom. On domestic affairs, he urged placing the public interest above all other considerations, saying there is a Lebanese faction that represents the opposite of the state because its role would end once the state functions fully. Aoun also cited achievements he said had not received sufficient media coverage, including Lebanon joining the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) ports network through the ports of Tripoli and Beirut, and demarcating the maritime border with Cyprus. “Lebanon recorded 4% economic growth last year, while the Finance Ministry posted a $1.3 billion surplus and the central bank’s foreign currency holdings increased by $2 billion,” he said. “Growth had been projected at 6% this year, but the war prevented that.” Addressing higher oil prices and their economic effect, Aoun attributed the increase to the war in the Gulf, whose effects he said are being felt worldwide, as well as what he described as “traders’ greed.” “The state is working to ease the economic burden as much as possible,” said the president. On Feb. 28, the US and Israel launched a war on Iran that killed thousands. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and US sites in countries in the region. A ceasefire was reached in April, but Washington later carried out further attacks on sites inside Iran amid stalled negotiations.