Lebanese president: Withdrawal of Israeli forces from south ‘national principle’ to uphold
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun says the withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the southern part of the country as well as the return of displaced people to their areas constitute "national principles" that must be adhered to rigorously.
“The withdrawal [of Israeli forces], the return of prisoners and displaced people, and reconstruction are national principles that we pledge to uphold,” Aoun told reporters on Saturday during a visit to the southern city of Nabatieh, accompanied by army commander Rodolphe Haykal and the heads of Lebanon’s security agencies.
The visit came hours after Israeli forces bombed the Ali Al Taher Ridge in the district with more than hundreds of tons of explosives. Residents of Nabatieh described a massive explosion throughout the region that left the ground shaking beneath their feet.
The Lebanese president also ruled out new talks with Israel for the time being.
“There are no new negotiations with Israel at present,” he stated.
A US official told the American news website Axios on Friday that the next round of Israel-Lebanon talks, originally scheduled for Rome next week, had been postponed.
The Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors will instead convene at the State Department in Washington to discuss recent developments and the ongoing implementation of the so-called framework agreement, the official added.
The next round of formal negotiations will take place in Rome in October, the US official said.
An unnamed Lebanese source close to the negotiations also said on Friday that “the timing doesn’t suit us.”
On June 26, representatives from the Beirut government and the Tel Aviv regime signed a US-sponsored framework agreement in Washington, which outlines a phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanese territory, alongside the deployment of the Lebanese army in regions vacated by Israeli forces.
According to official Lebanese figures, Israeli assaults in Lebanon have resulted in the deaths of nearly 4,400 individuals and left 12,500 others injured since March 2.
Israel continues its occupation of regions in southern Lebanon, including territory that has been held for many years as well as areas seized during recent wars and military offensives.
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