Lebanon's President tells UK Foreign Secretary Israeli occupation hinders state authority

President Joseph Aoun met with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Saturday, where they discussed the latest developments in Lebanon and the broader region.

Aoun stressed that the continued Israeli occupation of the "five hills," along with repeated Israeli aggressions and the ongoing detention of Lebanese prisoners, complicates the state's ability to assert full authority and implement its decisions, particularly regarding the state control of arms by legitimate security institutions.

The Lebanese president emphasized that stabilizing the situation in the south requires the full application of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701, including the presence of U.N. peacekeepers from UNIFIL. 

He announced that the Lebanese Army’s deployment in the south would soon reach 10,000 troops, reiterating that no armed forces other than state security agencies and UNIFIL would be permitted to operate there.

For his part, Secretary Lammy reaffirmed the United Kingdom's continued support for the Lebanese Army across various sectors and confirmed Britain's close monitoring of the situation in Lebanon.