Israel should seize Lebanon’s best chance for peace in decades - opinion

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, during a White House visit with US President Donald Trump, declared Lebanon's goal to end hostility with Israel. The article argues that Hezbollah's decline has created a rare opening for peace, and Israel and the US should back Aoun before the opportunity closes.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, during a White House visit alongside US President Donald Trump, declared that Lebanon's ultimate objective is to end the state of hostility with Israel. This statement capped a process in which Aoun publicly called for direct negotiations and signed a US-brokered framework for lasting peace on June 26, 2026. The article argues that Hezbollah's decline has created a rare opening for peace, and Israel and the US should back Aoun before the opportunity closes. Aoun, elected in January 2025 after a two-year presidential vacancy, has opposed Hezbollah and Iranian interference, supported dialogue with Israel, and worked to restore the state's monopoly on armed force. The writer, a former head of the Hezbollah and Lebanon Branch in Israeli Defense Intelligence, cautions that Hezbollah remains armed and capable of obstruction but sees Aoun as a potential partner. The article recommends phased Israeli withdrawals where the Lebanese Armed Forces establish control, sustained US aid conditioned on progress, and avoiding steps that humiliate Aoun.