Lebanon's President: "Israel is Pressing to Remove UNIFIL, We Demand It Stay"

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met with a parliamentary delegation and welcomed a petition to extend UNIFIL's mandate in southern Lebanon. He said the first option is extending the mandate, and the second is adopting a legal framework for the continued presence of international forces alongside the Lebanese army. His remarks come amid negotiations between Israel and Lebanon, where it was agreed that Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia may contribute forces to a mechanism for disarming Hezbollah. Aoun claimed Israel opposes UNIFIL and has been pressuring for nearly a year, while Lebanon demands they stay.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun met today (Monday) with a parliamentary delegation and welcomed a petition calling for the extension of the mandate of international forces in southern Lebanon. In his remarks, he said: "Our first option is to extend the mandate of UNIFIL forces, and if their mandate is not extended, the second option is to adopt a framework that ensures the continued presence of international forces in the south, within the required legal framework, and in a way that these forces will be alongside the Lebanese army and in coordination with it, to support stability and carry out the tasks assigned to them." His remarks come against the backdrop of negotiations held in recent days between Israel and Lebanon. According to sources familiar with the matter, Israel and Lebanon have agreed on Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and Indonesia as countries that may contribute forces to the proposed mechanism, under which foreign forces would be deployed in Lebanon to verify the disarmament of Hezbollah. Aoun added that UNIFIL's presence in the south is important and helps keep residents in their villages and strengthen stability, in cooperation with the Lebanese army. He claimed that Israel opposes UNIFIL's presence and has been exerting pressure for nearly a year, while Lebanon demands they stay. The United States reiterated its opposition to renewing the mandate, and through Washington's mediation, Lebanon agreed to work with Israel on a future framework. Although an agreement on the countries that will deploy forces is not expected soon, Aoun called for a breakthrough to ensure the continued international presence in the south.