Lebanon President Aoun Says Israel Deal Won’t Cede Any Territory

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun told a gathering of university, medical and Maronite officials that the U.S.-mediated framework agreement signed with Israel does not legitimise Israel’s continued occupation of Lebanese land. He said the pact is intended to empower the Lebanese army to assume security responsibilities across the south once Israeli forces withdraw and Hezbollah disarms, and he emphasised that Lebanon will not surrender even a centimetre of its territory.

The agreement, described by Beirut as a first step toward restoring full sovereignty, outlines a phased Israeli pull‑out from pilot zones in the south but does not set a timetable for a complete withdrawal. Israel has said its troops will remain in a “security zone” in southern Lebanon, Syria and the Gaza Peninsula until Hezbollah’s weapons are eliminated. Hezbollah has rejected the deal, calling it invalid. The conflict that began on 2 March has already caused more than 4,200 Lebanese deaths and tens of thousands of injuries.

Aoun’s remarks distance the Lebanese government from accusations of betrayal and frame the negotiations as a diplomatic, non‑violent path to ending the occupation.