Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced that progress has been made in negotiations with Israel, arguing that diplomacy offers Lebanon a far better path than the devastating consequences of continued warfare.

Aoun said Israeli attacks on Lebanon have decreased since the signing of a framework agreement between the two countries, contributing to improved conditions and allowing more Lebanese citizens to spend the summer in their homeland.

In unusually pointed remarks challenging longstanding rhetoric surrounding Lebanon’s conflict with Israel, Aoun rejected the notion that territory or rights lost through force can only be recovered through force.

“We always hear slogans saying that what was taken by force can only be returned by force, but the facts on the ground have proven that this statement has no validity,” Aoun said.

The Lebanese president said residents of southern Lebanon deserve an opportunity to live peacefully and remain on their land rather than repeatedly being drawn into wars conducted in their name for what he described as “objectives that are not Lebanese.”

His comments appeared to underscore an effort to prioritize Lebanese national interests and negotiations over another round of destructive fighting.

Aoun nevertheless stressed that there remains broad agreement inside Lebanon regarding the country’s demands, including a complete Israeli withdrawal, the return of Lebanese prisoners and the reconstruction of areas damaged by fighting.

“We will not allow Israel to remain on even one centimeter of our land, nor will we allow any of its soldiers to remain on our territory,” Aoun declared.

The remarks signal that while significant disputes between Israel and Lebanon remain unresolved, Beirut sees negotiations as a preferable avenue for addressing them rather than returning to full-scale conflict.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)