Lebanese president says diplomacy with Israel is pushing back ‘specter of war’

As Beirut sharpens tone against Hezbollah, and after Israeli and Lebanese officials met directly twice, Aoun says ‘matters will head in a positive direction, God willing’

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun, who has promised to disarm Hezbollah, expressed optimism Thursday that diplomatic efforts will prevent Israel from embarking on another major military operation in Lebanon.

“Diplomatic contacts to push back the specter of war have not stopped,” Aoun said. “I tell you that the specter of war has been pushed away from Lebanon, and matters will head in a positive direction, God willing.”

Last week, Israeli and Lebanese officials met directly in the southern Lebanon town of Naqoura, the second such meeting this month, as the two enemy states look to maintain the year-old ceasefire in the Israel-Hezbollah war while Israeli is reportedly preparing for renewed conflict if Beirut is unable to disarm the Shiite armed group.

On Wednesday, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji demanded that Hezbollah’s entire military system be dismantled and disarmed, in comments that were explicitly critical of both the terror group and its main backer, Iran.

A day later, Aoun joined in the criticism of Hezbollah with an oblique jab, calling for a “state of institutions, not a state of parties and sects.”

“There is a wound that is bleeding in the south,” Aoun said. “And I hope that with the birth of the new Lebanon, we will put an end to the wars and live in peace.”

Aoun made the comments after a Christmas Day meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi.

In his Christmas Day message, Rahi called for praying for the success of negotiations, and for the Lebanese Army’s success in collecting “illegal weapons,” another reference to Hezbollah.

Last week, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said that the country was close to completing the disarmament of Hezbollah south of the Litani River, and that the government was now moving towards confiscating weapons north of the Litani, “based on the plan prepared by the Lebanese army pursuant to a mandate from the government.”

A year of intense conflict between the Lebanese Iran-backed terror group and Israel came to a halt just over a year ago with a US-brokered ceasefire. The war erupted when Hezbollah began firing into Israel a day after the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre.

Under the terms of the truce, Hezbollah was to be disarmed and allow the Lebanese Armed Forces to deploy fully across the country as the IDF withdrew.

Beirut drew up plans to confiscate Hezbollah’s weapons and destroy its infrastructure and has been slowly doing so, but it has faced some difficulty and Jerusalem’s patience is wearing thin. Lebanon is now under pressure to speed up the process or risk intensifying Israeli action.

Israel has retained troops in Lebanon at five strategic points near the border, and regularly conducts strikes that it says are against Hezbollah attempts to rebuild its strength.