President Aoun urges ceasefire mechanism to halt Israeli violations in South Lebanon

President Joseph Aoun called on the new head of the ceasefire committee, U.S. General Joseph Clearfield, to activate the mechanism’s work to put an end to Israel’s repeated attacks on Lebanon and violations of the ceasefire agreement reached last November.

During a meeting at the Baabda Presidential Palace, attended by U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Keith Haningan, President Aoun stressed that Lebanon, which has fully adhered to the ceasefire since its announcement, places great hopes on the committee’s efforts to help restore stability to South Lebanon and prevent “unjustified and unacceptable” Israeli attacks that have targeted civilians, businesses, and industrial facilities.

Aoun underscored that the Lebanese army “is performing its duties in full south of the Litani River and continues to reinforce its deployment daily.” He called for pressure on Israel to withdraw from the territories it continues to occupy so the army can complete its deployment along the international border. 

He highlighted the army’s achievements so far, including “clearing” areas under its control, removing armed manifestations, uncovering tunnels, and seizing various weapons and ammunition despite the challenging geography of the south.

The president reaffirmed Lebanon’s commitment to implementing all security measures adopted by the army’s command, emphasizing that any support provided by the supervisory committee would “surely help end the unstable situation along the border, allowing residents to regain stability and security.” He added that “no one in the south—or in Lebanon as a whole—wants a return to the state of war.”

For his part, General Clearfield briefed President Aoun on the latest developments within the committee, noting that its meetings will now be held regularly to “work toward consolidating the cessation of hostilities in the south.” He outlined a series of steps being prepared to achieve this objective.