ISTANBUL: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Monday that efforts to ensure Israel’s full withdrawal from Lebanese territory remain a national priority, Anadolu Agency (AA) reported, citing state media.
“The path towards a full Israeli withdrawal remains a firm national demand, which the Lebanese state is working to achieve through negotiations,” Aoun said in a statement carried by the Lebanese government’s National News Agency (NNA).
The statement was made as Lebanon commemorated Resistance and Liberation Day, commemorating Israel’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000 after 22 years of occupation.
Aoun said negotiations with Israel “are not a form of concession or surrender”, but rather reflect Lebanon’s efforts to assert its sovereign right to protect its territory through the country’s military and security institutions.
Beirut and Tel Aviv have held three rounds of direct negotiations mediated by the United States since mid-April in an effort to establish a lasting peace settlement.
Although the ceasefire came into effect on April 17 and was later extended until early July, Israeli military operations are still ongoing in southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanese officials, more than 3,100 people have been killed, more than 9,500 injured and about 1.6 million displaced by Israeli attacks in Lebanon since March 2, as the conflict continues involving Israel and Hezbollah.
— BERNAMA-ANADOLU
