Aoun: Negotiations Are Making Progress... We Won't Allow Israel to Remain

President of the Republic Joseph Aoun affirmed that "negotiations are making progress and remain, in any case, better than the destructive results of war upon us. The scale of Israeli attacks on our country has been limited following the signing of the framework agreement, which has positively impacted the return of Lebanese citizens to spend the summer in their homeland."

During his meeting with a delegation from the Maronite Foundation for Outreach, led by Mrs. Roz Choueiri, President Aoun noted that "there is no disagreement among Lebanese people regarding objectives—Israeli withdrawal, return of prisoners, and reconstruction of what was destroyed. In the end, we will not allow Israel to remain even one inch of our land, nor one soldier from its army to stay on our soil."

He said, "We constantly hear slogans claiming that what was taken by force can only be reclaimed by force, but the realities on the ground have proven this statement false," adding that "it is time for the people of the South to rest and settle in their land, rather than continue wars being waged in their name for non-Lebanese goals."

He concluded by reaffirming that his goal "today is rebuilding the state, whatever the cost, despite opposition from those seeking to undermine the foundations of the state and prevent its reconstruction."