Lebanon can no longer bear the burden of other countries' conflicts, President Joseph Aoun said, as the military prepares to unveil the second stage of its plan to disarm Hezbollah.
“We want nothing but the well-being of our people and our families, the prosperity of our nation, and the lives of our children,” Mr Aoun said.
Mr Aoun was speaking at the presidential palace in Baabda alongside German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Mr Aoun made several references to Germany as an example of how a country can recover from war and division.
“We learn from Germany and its modern history that even the most united nations can fall victim to division when occupied,” Mr Aoun said. “And that unity can only be achieved through complete independence and the state's sole sovereignty over all its territory.”
After its crushing defeat by the Allies in the Second World War, Germany and the capital Berlin were divided and occupied by the victorious powers. Lebanon has also suffered extensive periods of occupation in its history, notably by Israel and Syria.
The most recent conflict with Israel began in October 2023 when Hezbollah opened a front in support of Hamas, a day after the Palestinian militants launched their unprecedented attack on southern Israel. Hezbollah was severely weakened after it escalated into all-out war in the autumn of 2024.
Now, most of southern Lebanon, as well as other parts of the country, lies in ruin, and the reconstruction task ahead is a mammoth one.
“My visit to Lebanon is to ask Hezbollah and Israel to abide by the ceasefire agreement and to emphasise that the disarmament of Hezbollah must proceed at full speed and that Israeli soldiers must withdraw from southern Lebanon,” said Mr Steinmeier.
Last month, the Lebanese army said it had completed phase one of the process to disarm Hezbollah, extending its control south of the Litani River. Army commander Rudolph Haykal will brief the Lebanese cabinet this month on plans to disarm Hezbollah south of the Awali River for stage two of the process.
This phase is expected to be far more sensitive. Hezbollah allowed its assets south of the Litani River to be handed over to the Lebanese army, but has refused any conversation over its weapons elsewhere in Lebanon.
Israel continues to carry out daily strikes on alleged Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and to occupy Lebanese territory despite the truce.
