Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on Saturday the United States to remain alongside his country, after a framework agreement concluded in Washington with Israel with a view to a “lasting peace” contested by pro-Iranian Hezbollah.
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The agreement concluded on June 26 under the aegis of the United States provides for the Lebanese army to reestablish its authority in the south of the country, subject to the disarmament of Hezbollah, starting with “pilot zones” from which the Israeli army would withdraw.
In a letter of congratulations to his American counterpart Donald Trump for the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Lebanese president calls on him to “continue to constantly stand alongside the just and equitable causes of Lebanon (…) and its army to (…) open a new page (…) of peace”, according to a press release from the presidency.
For the same occasion, the United States Embassy affirmed on
Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the regional war on March 2 by attacking Israel, claiming it was acting in retaliation for the death of Iran’s supreme leader, killed in US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28.
Israel responded with a vast bombing campaign and a ground offensive, while increasing calls for the evacuation of entire sections of southern Lebanon. Israeli operations have killed nearly 4,300 people, according to Beirut.
The memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 between Tehran and Washington allowed the entry into force of a precarious ceasefire from June 21.
Since then, more than 600,000 displaced Lebanese have returned home, out of more than a million, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
The return to dozens of southern localities, particularly those near the border, largely destroyed by Israeli forces, remains pending.
The Minister of Social Affairs, Hanine Sayyed, touring the south on Saturday, particularly in the heavily shelled town of Nabatiyé, said she planned the construction of “prefabricated houses and the payment of rental assistance” to facilitate the return of displaced people.
For its part, Israel continues intermittent strikes, particularly inside or near the area it occupies in the south.
The National Information Agency (Ani, official) reported on Saturday an Israeli strike in Mansouri, near Tyre, leaving one injured, and Israeli artillery fire against two localities in the Bint Jbeil region.
