Lebanon's president says talks progressing, vows no Israeli presence on Lebanese land

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday that negotiations are making progress, describing them as preferable to the devastating consequences of war for Lebanon. He noted that Israeli attacks on Lebanon have decreased since the framework agreement was signed, which has positively impacted the return of Lebanese expatriates to spend the summer in their homeland.

During a meeting with a delegation from the Maronite Foundation led by Rose Choueiri, Aoun stated that there is no disagreement among Lebanese over the goals of Israeli withdrawal, the return of detainees, and the reconstruction of damaged areas. He emphasized that "in the end, we will not allow Israel to remain on even an inch of our land, nor will we permit a single Israeli soldier to stay on our territory."

The president stressed that it is time for the people of southern Lebanon to settle in their land, instead of ongoing wars being waged in their name for non-Lebanese objectives. He reaffirmed that his current priority is to rebuild the state, regardless of the cost, despite opposition from those he described as seeking to undermine the foundations of the state and prevent its reconstruction.