President of the Republic: Negotiations are making progress... and we will not allow Israel to remain "even on a single inch of our land"

As Lebanese followed the proceedings of the parliamentary session that approved the bill to abolish the death penalty, President Joseph Aoun took a new stance during his reception of a delegation from the Maronite Foundation for Diaspora, led by Mrs. Rose Choueri. Aoun stated, “Negotiations between Lebanon and Israel are making progress and remain, in any case, better than the results of the devastating war upon us. The scale of Israeli attacks on our country has been contained since the signing of the framework agreement, which has had a positive impact on the return of Lebanese to spend the summer in their homeland.”

President Aoun added, “There is no disagreement among Lebanese regarding the objectives of the Israeli withdrawal, the return of prisoners, and the reconstruction of what has been destroyed. In the end, we will not allow Israel to remain on even an inch of our land, nor will we allow one of its soldiers to stay on our soil.”

He pointed out that “we always hear slogans claiming that what was taken by force can only be reclaimed by force, but the facts on the ground have proven this assertion false.” He said, “It is time for the son of the South to rest and settle in his land, rather than having wars continue to be waged in his name for non-Lebanese objectives.”

He emphasized, “My goal today is to rebuild the state at any cost, despite the opposition of those seeking to undermine the foundations of the state and prevent its reconstruction.”

At the Patriarchal residence in Balamand, northern Lebanon, US Ambassador to Beirut Michael Issa met with Patriarch of Antioch and All the East of the Orthodox John X Yazigi. Issa stated, “Lebanese-Israeli negotiations are advancing significantly and offering a new solution in each round.” He added, “I am optimistic that they will help resolve issues in Lebanon and the region,” affirming that “US President Donald Trump loves Lebanon and is concerned with achieving peace there.”

In parallel, MPs approved the bill to abolish the death penalty during the general session held yesterday under the parliamentary dome, presided over by Speaker Nabih Berri. Justice Minister Adnan Nasser described the abolition of the death penalty as a “historic step.”

Meanwhile, at the Presidential Palace, a broad meeting convened at the invitation of Tourism Minister Laura Hadid, titled “Tourism: An Engine for Recovery, Restoring Confidence, and Investment,” was held under the patronage and presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. This event took place within the framework of the visit to Lebanon by Sheikha Al-Nuaimi, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. Speaking about her visit, she said that “what the Arab Organization for Tourism, which includes 160 member states, aims to do is ensure synergy between the public and private sectors,” stressing that “we wish to help Lebanon.”

Regarding the most notable developments on the ground yesterday, a photo released by the Lebanese National News Agency revealed the extent of damage caused by an Israeli airstrike on the South on August 9. The strike targeted a bridge located above the Qasmiyah-Ras al-Ayn irrigation project canal in the Mansuriya area. Widespread destruction was evident, affecting the structure and the associated water infrastructure, raising concerns about its impact on the irrigation network and the farmers who rely on it in the Southern Coast.