President Aoun: Lebanon’s security must be under state authority alone

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that it is not possible to live outside the framework of the state, arguing that past experiences have demonstrated the consequences of doing so.

“Living outside the framework of the state is a mistake,” Aoun said, stressing the importance of national institutions.

The president added that Lebanon’s true strength does not lie in conventional weapons but in national unity. 

He said a recent summit meeting served as a response to suggestions that religious or sectarian conflict could emerge in Lebanon, asserting that such claims are unfounded and will not materialize.

Aoun also emphasized that an attack on any part of Lebanon constitutes an attack on the entire country, saying no region can be separated from the nation as a whole.

“Our goal is to serve the people and protect the country,” he said.

The president added that ongoing efforts are guided by a single objective: ending attacks on Lebanon, securing an Israeli withdrawal, ensuring the return of displaced residents and detainees, deploying the Lebanese Army in the south, granting it sole responsibility for security, and advancing reconstruction efforts.