Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has sought to reassure the public over ongoing negotiations with Israel, reaffirming that Beirut will not accept any permanent Israeli military presence on Lebanese territory.
Aoun made the comments after the seventh round of talks between Lebanon and Israel ended in Rome without an apparent breakthrough on expanding areas from which Israeli forces would withdraw.
In a statement posted on X, Aoun said Lebanon’s negotiators would not allow Israel to remain “on a single inch” of Lebanese land or leave any of its soldiers on Lebanese soil.
The talks have focused partly on establishing additional “pilot zones” in Lebanon, where Israeli forces would withdraw and transfer control to the Lebanese army on the condition that the areas remain free of Hezbollah fighters.
An Israeli source told CNN that no date had been set for the next round of negotiations. Aoun, however, reiterated his commitment to resolving the dispute through diplomacy, arguing that developments on the ground had demonstrated the value of negotiations over further military confrontation.
The negotiations come amid continuing tensions along the Lebanon Israel border and broader regional instability. Beirut has maintained that a full Israeli withdrawal is essential to any lasting security arrangement, while Israel has demanded guarantees against renewed Hezbollah activity.
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