Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Monday said the aim of holding direct talks with Israel under US mediation is to end the state of war between the two sides and reach a deal along the lines of an armistice.
In a sharp address during a meeting with residents of two southern Lebanese towns, he rejected accusations of wrongdoing and appeared to accuse Hezbollah of betrayal for what he described as dragging the country into a war that serves Iran’s interests.
He was speaking shortly after Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem said the Iran-backed group rejected direct negotiations with Israel and reiterated that it would not give up its weapons.
“My goal is to reach an end to the state of war with Israel, along the lines of an armistice agreement,” Mr Aoun told visitors at the Presidential Palace. “Was the armistice agreement an act of humiliation? I will not accept reaching a humiliating agreement.
“What we are doing is not betrayal. Betrayal is committed by those who drag their country into war to serve external interests.
“Some criticise us for deciding to go to negotiations on the grounds that there is no national consensus. I ask: when you chose war, did you have national consensus first?”
In November 2024, Israel and Hezbollah agreed to pause after fighting for more than a year following Hamas’s attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Hezbollah had opened what it called a “support front” for its ally in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli army has killed more than 72,000 people and devastated the territory.
Before the ceasefire, Hezbollah was dealt heavy blows, with top commanders killed and the group facing continual intelligence breaches that exposed its leadership and fighters. During the ceasefire, Israel kept breaching the terms, launching almost daily strikes against targets inside Lebanon and killing hundreds of civilians, according to Lebanese authorities.
Fighting resumed on March 2 this year after Hezbollah launched rockets at Israel. The group stated that it was responding to the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the ceasefire breaches.
Israel retaliated with force that was described as “disproportionate” by EU and western officials, and civilians in Lebanon have paid the heaviest price. At least 2,500 people, including more than 170 children, have been killed since then, according to Lebanese authorities.
“How long will the people of the south continue to pay the price for others’ wars on our land, most recently the war in support of Gaza and the war in support of Iran?” Mr Aoun asked. “If the war were for Lebanon, we would have supported it. But when its purpose serves the interests of others, I reject it entirely.”
He explained that during direct talks in Washington at ambassadorial level, the Lebanese side told the Americans that a ceasefire is a necessary first step for any subsequent negotiations. A ten-day ceasefire was announced in mid-April after the first talks, and was then extended for three weeks.
Mr Aoun reaffirmed that the US acknowledged that “Israel will not carry out any offensive military operations against Lebanese targets, including civilian, military, or other state targets on Lebanese territory – by land, sea, or air”. US President Donald Trump had also said Israel would not resume bombing Lebanon.
“This is the official position of the Lebanese state regarding what is happening in Lebanon or in Washington,” added Mr Aoun. “Any other statements do not concern us and have no official Lebanese cover.”
However, Israel has continued attacking Lebanon, while occupying a 10km zone along the border that it describes as a “security zone”, where it is demolishing homes and preventing residents from returning to their villages. For its part, Hezbollah has announced direct clashes with Israeli troops and the launch of drones against Israeli targets.
The Israeli army said on Monday that it had begun to strike “Hezbollah infrastructure” sites in the eastern Bekaa Valley and in additional areas across southern Lebanon.
The rare direct talks were seen by some Lebanese parties, mostly allied with Hezbollah, as a way for Israel to push the small country towards normalisation, although it was stated from the outset that this was not Lebanon's goal.
“Even before negotiations began, some started firing accusations and claims of betrayal, alleging that we are entering negotiations in surrender. To them we say: wait until negotiations begin, then judge the outcome,” Mr Aoun said.
Hezbollah's chief reiterated earlier that the group will not give up its weapons and lambasted the Lebanese government’s move to open direct negotiations. “We categorically reject direct negotiations, and those in authority should know that their approach will not benefit Lebanon nor themselves,” he said.
