Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said negotiations with Israel were progressing but stressed that a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory remained a priority.Follow us on GoogleLebanese President Joseph Aoun attends a cabinet session to discuss the army's plan to disarm Hezbollah, at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, Lebanon.(photo credit: REUTERS/MOHAMED AZAKIR/FILE PHOTO)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFAUGUST 12, 2026 04:27 Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said negotiations with Israel were progressing while reaffirming that Lebanon would not accept a continued Israeli presence on any part of its territory, according to a statement posted to X on Tuesday.Speaking to a delegation from the Maronite Foundation in the World, Aoun reaffirmed his commitment to “rebuild the state, whatever the cost,” despite what he described as opposition from those seeking to prevent its reconstruction.Aoun said progress was being made in the ongoing negotiations with Israel, arguing that diplomacy offered a better path forward than a return to destructive war.Aoun also said the framework agreement had helped curb the scale of Israeli attacks on Lebanon, which he said had encouraged more Lebanese to return to the country for the summer.However, the president stressed that securing a complete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanese territory and the return of Lebanese prisoners remained priorities in the negotiations.US Secretary of State Marco Rubio talks alongside State Department Counselor Daniel Holler, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter and Lebanon's Ambassador to the U.S. Nada Hamadeh during an event to sign a framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon, June 26, 2026. (credit: KEN CEDENO/REUTERS)Aoun: Israel must completely withdraw from Lebanon“There is no disagreement among the Lebanese on the goals, from the Israeli withdrawal and the return of the prisoners to the reconstruction of what has been destroyed,” Aoun said.“In the end, we will not allow Israel to remain on even a single inch of our land, nor will we allow a single Israeli soldier to remain on our soil.”Aoun also challenged the notion that territory taken by force could only be recovered through force, pointing instead to the ongoing diplomatic process.“We always hear slogans saying that what is taken by force will only be recovered by force, but the facts on the ground have proven the falsehood of this saying,” he said.Aoun said residents of southern Lebanon deserved the opportunity to live peacefully on their land rather than face further conflict.“It is time for the son of the South to rest and settle on his land, rather than allowing wars to continue to be waged in his name for non-Lebanese objectives,” Aoun said.Israel-Lebanon talks set to continue in SeptemberIsraeli and Lebanese officials most recently met in Rome for talks that concluded on August 6, during which representatives discussed Hezbollah’s disarmament, a pilot program for an Israeli withdrawal, and plans for a “comprehensive peace and security agreement,” according to a US State Department spokesperson.The next round of Israel-Lebanon talks is expected to take place in early September, a US official told Saudi state-owned Al-Arabiya English on Tuesday.Leo Feierberg Better contributed to this report.Follow us on Google