Beirut: President of the Republic, Joseph Aoun, on Tuesday said negotiations were making progress and remained, under all circumstances, preferable to the consequences of a destructive war for Lebanon. Speaking during a meeting with a delegation from the Maronite Foundation in the World, headed by Rose Choueiri, Aoun said the scale of Israeli attacks on Lebanon had declined after the signing of the framework formula, a development that had positively affected the return of Lebanese expatriates to spend the summer in their homeland.
According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Aoun emphasized that there is no disagreement among the Lebanese over the objectives: Israeli withdrawal, the return of prisoners, and the reconstruction of what has been destroyed. He asserted, "In the end, we will not allow Israel to remain on even one inch of our land, nor will we allow a single Israeli soldier to remain on our territory."
Aoun addressed the slogans claiming that what is taken by force can only be restored by force, stating that realities on the ground had proven that assertion wrong. He expressed that it is time for the people of the South to rest and live securely on their land, instead of wars continuing to be waged in their name for non-Lebanese objectives.
The president reiterated his commitment to rebuilding the state regardless of the cost, despite opposition from those seeking to undermine its foundations and prevent its reconstruction.