According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), Aoun asserted that the country would not cede “even a centimeter” of its territory and maintained that the framework agreement does not contradict national principles but rather seeks to preserve the State’s rights.

  The leader noted that the Government’s objective is to secure an Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories through diplomatic means, and he deemed it necessary to leverage US support, as well as the favorable stances of the European Union and Gulf nations, to reach a solution.

  The head of state maintained that the country must move past the era of wars and reiterated that the monopoly on the use of force—and on decisions regarding war and peace—belongs exclusively to the Lebanese State.

  He also urged the international community to pressure Israel to honor the commitments made in the agreement and to facilitate its implementation.

  Last week, under US auspices, Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement aimed at paving the way for a ceasefire; the agreement envisions the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from occupied areas in southern Lebanon, and the deployment of the Lebanese army, starting with two pilot areas.

  However, the agreement does not set a timeline for the Israeli withdrawal, while Israeli leaders—including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz—maintain that their troops will remain on Lebanese soil until Hezbollah is disarmed.

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