Lebanon's president reveals the country's stance on relations with Israel

BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon has nary plans to person mean relations with Israel astatine the contiguous time, and Beirut’s main purpose is to scope a “state of nary war” with its confederate neighbor, the country’s president said Friday.

President Joseph Aoun’s comments came arsenic the Trump medication is trying to grow the Abraham Accords signed successful 2020 successful which Israel signed historical pacts with United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

In May, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa said during a sojourn to France that his state is holding indirect talks with Israel to forestall subject activities on their borderline from going retired of control. Talks astir bid betwixt Israel and Syria person accrued pursuing the ouster of President Bashar Assad from powerfulness successful December.

Aoun added successful comments released by his bureau that lone the Lebanese authorities volition person weapons successful the future, and the determination connected whether Lebanon would spell to warfare oregon not would beryllium for the Lebanese government.

Aoun’s comments were an evident notation to the militant Hezbollah radical that fought a 14-month warfare with Israel, during which it suffered large blows including the sidesplitting of immoderate of its apical governmental and subject commanders.

Hezbollah says it has ended its equipped beingness adjacent the borer with Israel, but is refusing to disarm successful the remainder of Lebanon earlier Israel withdraws from 5 overlooking borderline points and ends its astir regular airstrikes connected Lebanon.

Earlier this week, U.S. envoy Tom Barrack met with Lebanese leaders successful Beirut, saying helium was satisfied with the Lebanese governments effect to a connection to disarm Hezbollah.

Hezbollah’s weapons person been 1 of the main sticking points since Israel withdrew from confederate Lebanon successful 2000. Since then, Hebzollah fought 2 wars with Israel, 1 successful 2006, and the different starting a time aft the Hamas-led onslaught connected confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, which triggered the warfare successful Gaza.

The Hezbollah-Israel war, which ended with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire successful November, near much than 4,000 radical dormant successful Lebanon and caused demolition estimated astatine $11 billion. In Israel, 127 people, including 80 soldiers, were killed during the war.

“Peace is the authorities of nary warfare and this is what is important for america successful Lebanon astatine the contiguous time,” Aoun was quoted arsenic telling visitors connected Friday. He added that “the substance of normalization (with Israel) is not included successful Lebanon’s existent overseas policy.”

Lebanon and Israel person been astatine a authorities of warfare since 1948.