Aoun denounces the Israeli raids on southern Lebanon and demands the renewal of UNIFIL's mandate

Commenting on the Israeli raids that targeted the towns of Kafr Rumman, Deir Al-Zahrani, and a number of towns in the Nabatieh district at night, Aoun stressed that “the successive Israeli attacks represent condemned, rejected and unjustified crimes, targeting innocent civilians, including children and women, and destroying homes and property.”

He stressed Lebanon's commitment to renewing the mandate of the international forces operating in the south, indicating that his country seeks, in cooperation with French President Emmanuel Macron, to facilitate the renewal process, while welcoming the French and Italian initiative to form an alternative European force to fill the void in the event of UNIFIL's withdrawal.

Aoun stated that his expected visit to Paris next week aims to participate in the preparatory meeting for the international conference in support of the army and internal security forces, in addition to discussing the file of international forces in the south.

For his part, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, in his speech during the opening session of the Arab League Council at the level of foreign ministers in Cairo, warned that the region is heading towards the unknown, in light of the return of Iranian attacks targeting the Gulf states, reiterating Lebanon’s condemnation of the Israeli attacks on its sovereignty and territorial integrity and the occupation of large areas of it.

He considered that "Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into two successive wars over the past years," stressing that Resolution 1701 remains the broader framework for dealing with the requirements of this stage, in addition to the November 2024 agreement.

Raji called for international support and the establishment of a working mechanism to implement Resolution 1701 and the tripartite framework, at a time when Lebanon needs international cooperation to confront the accumulated security and political challenges.