Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday urged Israel to halt its airstrikes on southern Lebanon and engage in mutual negotiations to end its occupation, as German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited Beirut to discuss efforts to restore calm along the border.
Aoun accused Israel of responding to Lebanon’s call for dialogue by escalating its attacks, the latest of which killed a man riding a motorbike in the southern village of Kunin. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli drones struck several targets across the south, killing two people, while Israel claimed it eliminated a Hezbollah maintenance officer rebuilding the group’s infrastructure.
“Lebanon is ready for negotiations to end the Israeli occupation,” Aoun told Wadephul after their meeting at the Presidential Palace. “But any talks cannot be one-sided – they require mutual will, which is still lacking.” He added that the Lebanese army’s deployment in the south would increase to 10,000 troops before the end of the year, in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, to enforce the ceasefire terms.
Despite a U.S.-brokered cease-fire last November that ended the latest Israeli attacks, Tel Aviv has maintained troops in five areas of southern Lebanon and continues to carry out regular airstrikes, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah positions. Lebanese officials, meanwhile, criticize Israel for striking civilian areas and destroying infrastructure unrelated to the group.
