Lebanese President Joseph Aoun. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
Beirut denounces Hezbollah and calls for direct talks with Israel while Hezbollah reportedly puts out feelers to gauge Israeli receptiveness for a ceasefire.
By World Israel News Staff
Lebanon’s president denounced the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah this week, a week after the Shi’ite organization launched a series of attacks on Israel, effectively ending the tenuous ceasefire reached in November 2024.
On Monday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun excoriated Hezbollah during a virtual meeting with senior European Union officials.
Aoun also leveled criticism at Israel over IDF strikes on Hezbollah strongholds across Lebanon, including in Dahiyeh, south of Beirut, southern Lebanon, and the Beqaa Valley.
The war between Israel and Hezbollah constitutes “an attempt to corner” Lebanon, Aoun said, while accusing Israel of displaying “no respect for the laws of war, nor for international laws.”
Lebanon’s Health Ministry claims that more than 400 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since large-scale fighting resumed last week.
Over 600,000 people have fled southern Lebanon amid Israeli airstrikes and a ground incursion.
Aoun warned that as an ally of Iran, Hezbollah is seeking “to achieve the fall of the State of Lebanon, under aggression and chaos.”
Despite his criticism of Israel, Aoun said that Beirut is seeking direct talks with Israel, calling for international support to facilitate talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire.
The Lebanese president also asked for foreign support in disarming Hezbollah, a mission the Lebanese army was tasked with carrying out under the November 2024 ceasefire.
The talks with Israel could also lead to “permanent arrangements for security and stability on our borders,” Aoun said.
According to a report by Israel’s Channel 12, Hezbollah is also looking to negotiate a truce with Israel.
Israel is now reportedly holding discussions on whether to accept overtures from Beirut and Hezbollah and engage in talks aimed at reaching a truce, or to expand military operations in Lebanon.
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