In a recent statement, Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun expressed his desire for negotiations with Israel, facilitated by President Donald Trump, to halt Israeli airstrikes against the Hezbollah terrorist group.
This statement comes in the wake of ongoing conflict and tension in the region.
"Lebanon negotiated in the past with Israel with mediation by the United States and the United Nations," Aoun recalled, referencing the 2022 negotiations over the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel, as reported by Breitbart. The urgency of these negotiations was heightened following the discovery of valuable gas deposits in the waters between the two nations.
The United States and the United Nations played a crucial role in establishing a mutually agreeable distribution of these offshore resources, marking the first official maritime border between Israel and Lebanon.
President Aoun questioned the effectiveness of war, asking, "What prevents repeating the same thing to find solutions to pending matters, especially [given] that war did not lead to results?" His comments were in reference to the Gaza war, which began in 2023 when Hamas committed atrocities against Israeli civilians, and ended provisionally this week with a peace deal brokered by President Trump.
The conflict was further complicated when Hezbollah, siding with Hamas, launched missiles against Israel from Lebanese territory, escalating the situation into an "open-ended battle of reckoning" with Israel. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retaliated with significant force, targeting Hezbollah's leadership and bombing their positions near the Israeli border. Despite the signing of the Gaza peace deal, Israeli strikes against Hezbollah continued and even intensified.
In the midst of this turmoil, Aoun expressed his desire to end the hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel, aligning with the broader trend of "deals and agreements" spreading across the Middle East. "Conditions are moving toward negotiations to achieve peace and stability. Therefore, we say that through dialogue and negotiations solutions can be reached. We cannot be outside the ongoing track in the region," he stated.
However, Aoun may face resistance from Hezbollah, a powerful political party in Lebanon, which has refused to disarm. Youssef al-Zein, Hezbollah's media chief, argued that maintaining their weapons is crucial for the Lebanese to reclaim their rights. He stated, "When we look at what happened in Gaza and its reflection on Lebanon, any rational observer would see that maintaining our weapons remains a vital source of strength for the Lebanese in reclaiming their rights."
Al-Zein further argued that the weapons of Hamas were the only leverage it had in peace negotiations with Israel and Trump, suggesting that Hezbollah would be unwise to surrender its own missiles. He listed several demands from Hezbollah before any negotiations with Israel could take place, including a unilateral halt to Israeli airstrikes, the release of Lebanese prisoners, guarantees of reconstruction funding for southern Lebanon, and Israel withdrawing its forces from five positions it currently holds on Lebanese soil.
President Aoun echoed these sentiments, calling for Israel to cease strikes on Lebanese territory as a prerequisite for negotiations. He argued that Hezbollah has suspended attacks against Israeli targets, and the Lebanese Army now controls most of the territory Hezbollah attacked from. "Weapons are not the main issue; it is the intention to use them that matters. Whats important is to neutralize the function of the weapon, and this is a matter that takes time. It cannot happen overnight," he stated.
As the Middle East grapples with the complexities of peace and conflict, the words of President Aoun serve as a reminder of the potential for negotiation and dialogue in the pursuit of stability and peace. The path forward may be fraught with challenges, but the possibility of a peaceful resolution remains a beacon of hope in a region often marked by turmoil.
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