Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Friday that Lebanon does not intend to pursue normalization with Israel, though it remains open to peaceful relations. His remarks came during a meeting in Beirut with members of the Arab and International Relations Council, as he reiterated Lebanon’s position following comments by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar expressing interest in establishing formal ties.
“Peace is the lack of a state of war, and this is what matters to us in Lebanon at the moment. As for the issue of normalization, it is not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy,” Aoun said, distinguishing between diplomatic normalization and a cessation of hostilities.
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Aoun urged Israel to fully comply with the November 2024 ceasefire agreement that ended the war between the Israeli military and Hezbollah, an armed group backed by Iran. Under that deal, both Hezbollah and Israeli forces were required to withdraw from southern Lebanon to allow the Lebanese army and international peacekeepers to take control. While Hezbollah has vacated the border region, Israeli troops remain in five strategic locations, which Aoun said “obstruct the complete deployment of the army up to the internationally recognized borders.”
The Lebanese president also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to centralizing control over all arms in the hands of the state, a move widely interpreted as aimed at disarming Hezbollah. “The decision to restrict arms is final and there is no turning back on it,” he said. However, he signaled the process would avoid internal conflict, emphasizing security and national unity.
Washington has repeatedly called on Beirut to dismantle Hezbollah’s military wing. Aoun confirmed that Lebanon had submitted its response to US demands earlier this week, which US envoy Thomas Barrack praised as “unbelievably satisfactory.”
Hezbollah initiated its latest conflict with Israel in October 2023, a day after Hamas’ deadly incursion into southern Israel. The fighting displaced tens of thousands and left Hezbollah severely weakened by Israeli strikes.