Lebanese president: Security deal with Israel would be potential prelude to peace

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told AFP in an exclusive interview that he wants a security agreement with Israel once it withdraws its troops as a possible prelude to a peace deal, and is determined to disarm Hezbollah without a confrontation. Speaking ahead of his departure to France on Wednesday, President Joseph Aoun said Lebanon wanted a new force, European or otherwise, to prevent a security vacuum after UN observers leave southern Lebanon when their mandate expires at the end of the year. He called on the United States, European Union and Arab countries to support Lebanon’s military as it deploys across the country. Lebanon under Aoun has committed to disarming Hezbollah, which dragged the country into the wider Middle East war by attacking Israel earlier this year. The Iran-backed terror group has refused to disarm, and Israeli officials are doubtful that Beirut will follow through on its pledges. Aoun said he wants a security agreement with Israel “primarily to end the state of hostility and the deployment of the army on the border. This could be a prelude to a later peace agreement, but we cannot jump directly to a peace agreement.” Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories Newsletter email address Get it By signing up, you agree to the terms “We have no choice but negotiations, because the alternative is war, which would be very costly for us,” he added. It was a rare explicit mention by a Lebanese leader of the possibility of an eventual full peace accord between the countries. Aoun made a similar remark in June, weeks before Israel and Lebanon reached a framework deal that said a peace agreement was its ultimate goal. In Paris, Aoun will attend a meeting hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and attended by King Abdullah II of Jordan to build international support for Lebanese troops as they deploy across the country. Advertisement “Our Arab and European partners, as well as the United States and our friends, must share with us the responsibility of supporting the army and strengthening the Lebanese state,” he said. Aoun reiterated that Lebanon was determined to disarm Hezbollah, saying the decision was “neither negotiable nor open to discussion.” The terror group has long maintained a massive arsenal and a vast network of tunnels, including near the border, that it has used to fight repeated wars with Israel, while exerting an outsized role in Lebanese politics. Israel took over wide swaths of southern Lebanon earlier this year in order to clear the area of Hezbollah presence and infrastructure, as demanded in a 2006 Security Council resolution that the UN observer force UNIFIL never fully enforced. This picture taken from a position in northern Israel, near the border with Lebanon shows a United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) armored vehicle driving past destroyed buildings in southern Lebanon on June 22, 2026. (Jalaa MAREY / AFP) / Critics have accused the Iran-backed terrorists of keeping Lebanon locked in a cycle of violence, while preventing the state from functioning fully across the country. Speaking to AFP, Aoun struck a conciliatory tone in his remarks on Hezbollah and the push to disarm it. “The objective is not a confrontation,” he said. “We are determined to resolve this issue peacefully. This is not about building a state at the cost of a bloody conflict… or a new civil war.” Advertisement Decades on from the end of a civil war that killed 150,000 people, Lebanon remains deeply divided and still lives under the specter of internal conflict. ‘No vacuum’ Aoun said he had told Iran that relations “must be based on mutual respect and non-interference in the internal affairs of the Lebanese people. We have no problem with having a relationship with Iran, but we do have a problem with interference in our internal affairs.” Under US pressure, the UN Security Council voted last year to end the mandate of the UN force in southern Lebanon on December 31, 2026. This photograph taken from the southern Lebanese village of al-Haniyya shows smoke as it rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the village of al-Mansouri on September 10, 2026. (Kawnat HAJU/AFP) UNIFIL, currently involving around 7,500 peacekeepers from nearly 50 countries, has been deployed since 1978. “What matters is that there is no vacuum,” Aoun told AFP on Tuesday. He added that any new force for Lebanon’s south would be “temporary until the [Lebanese] army can deploy.” “Whatever the nature of this force, that poses no problem for me: European, non-European, American, another United Nations force, Asian, or even a mix of European, Arab and Asian forces,” Aoun said. He has repeatedly urged the international community to extend the mandate of UNIFIL, which has witnessed war after war in south Lebanon since the mission was first deployed. “The best and most optimal option remains extending UNIFIL’s mandate,” he added. Advertisement Asked about Israel’s upcoming election, Aoun said it was an internal matter. “But the question we want to ask the Israeli people, the State of Israel and all future governments is the following: do they want stability, security and no wars on their border, or not?” he said. Help us report truthfully on social media As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos. This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world. If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism , please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting. — Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist Support our work Support our work Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You're a dedicated reader We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE , as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members. Thank you, David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel Join Our Community Join Our Community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this Most Popular 1 IDF chief met army heads of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, other Arab states to discuss Iran – report 2 ‘NAZA’ director accuses Israeli media of ignoring Gaza civilian deaths for entire war 3 Gaza terrorists heard joking during Oct. 7 attack in newly released intercepted calls 4 IDF chief floats legal action against ‘NAZA’ film, orders probe of leaked material 5 Inside story Aimed at settlements, UK sanctions could put entire Israeli economy at risk 6 US military says Iran war led to munitions shortfall, reveals base and aircraft damage 7 Apparent Houthi attacks trigger alerts in 6 Saudi cities; Riyadh vows response 8 Reporter's Notebook Golan Druze increasingly embrace Israel, reject Syria in seismic shift triggered by tragedy read more: Israel & the Region Israel-Lebanon relations Joseph Aoun Lebanon 2026 Israel-Hezbollah conflict Hezbollah peace If you’d like to comment, join The Times of Israel Community. JOIN THE TOI COMMUNITY Already a member? Log in here close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register Paying ToI Community members are invited to comment on articles Email address * Please use the following structure: example@domain.com Continue Or Continue with By joining you agree to the terms and conditions Send me The Times of Israel Daily Edition back close popup Register to continue Email address * Change REGISTER Or Continue with back close popup Log in to continue Email address * Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.. Continue back close popup Sign in or Join The Times of Israel Community Sign in or Register You are currently registered. Please join The Times of Israel Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits Only ToI Community members can comment below articles Email address * Password * Incorrect password. Please try again or choose an option below. Forgot your password? / Send me a login link Continue Sign in without joining Or Continue with close popup Check your email We sent an email to you at . It has a link that will sign you in. Click the link in that email to complete registration so you can comment. back close popup Join The Times of Israel Community Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits. Email address * Please use the following structure: example@domain.com JOIN NOW! close popup Thank you! Now check your email You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.