Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Saturday that the country's military remained the "only guarantor of Lebanon’s unity, sovereignty and independence”.
He was speaking on Army Day, which commemorates the military and its sacrifices.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said there would be “no restoration of our sovereignty, no stability for our homeland and security for our children” without the full deployment of the armed forces across Lebanese territory.
“The government is determined to strengthen the army's capabilities by increasing its number, equipping and improving its conditions to defend Lebanon and protect its people,” he said.
The military seeks to expand its control in southern Lebanon, where dozens of towns and villages remain under Israeli occupation. Lebanon's armed forces are also tasked with the mammoth mission of disarming Hezbollah and bringing all weapons under state control.
The UN's mission to Lebanon also lauded the country's military on Saturday. “It is truly remarkable how the Lebanese army has succeeded in gaining the trust of the Lebanese people across communities and performing its daunting tasks in spite of a challenging operational environment and socio-economic difficulties,” said Jean Arnault, a personal envoy of UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and acting head of the Office of the UN Special Co-ordinator for Lebanon.
Lebanese officials are looking for regional and international powers to put pressure on Israel to withdraw its troops from the south of the country. The Israeli military has demolished villages along the border in the so-called Yellow Zone.
An interim framework deal, signed in Washington by Israel and Lebanon on June 26, has been criticised for failing to set out a clear timetable for Israel to end its occupation. It says Israeli troops will “progressively redeploy out of the Lebanese territory”.
