President Aoun: We are proceeding with the path of national revival and committed to the state's monopoly on arms

Beirut – Mansour Shaaban

Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun renewed his affirmation of Lebanon’s commitment to the state’s monopoly on arms and the extension of the army’s authority over all territories, in implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.

President Aoun stated: “In light of the ongoing Israeli aggressions and violations of the ceasefire in our south, and the sacrifices and daily resilience endured by our people there, Lebanon reaffirms its full commitment to the state’s exclusive possession of legitimate arms, and to the extension of the Lebanese army’s authority over all Lebanese territories, in implementation of Resolution 1701 and to ensure Lebanon’s complete sovereignty.”

The President of the Republic renewed his pledge to continue the path of national revival, to achieve a strong and just state, and a south protected by its army, security forces, and the resilience of its people and the state, while paying tribute to the patience of the people in the south.

He continued: “As a state and institutions, we continue to demand the full disclosure of the truth regarding the fate of Lebanese missing persons, in accordance with the rights of families and Lebanon’s right to know the complete truth. We will continue to pursue this file at both the bilateral and international levels using all available diplomatic and legal means, honoring an trust that has not expired.”

Aoun called on the Lebanese state to fully assume its responsibilities in protecting the south and its people, considering that the only legitimate weapon that protects the land is the state’s legitimate arms. He stressed that “security is a national responsibility that cannot be reduced to one faction over another.”

This comes amid military tensions that have not been resolved by communications and meetings, as Israeli raids and shelling continued, alongside arson and bulldozing. From Aita al-Shaab to the burning of properties in Hadatha, the shelling of northern Nabatieh outskirts, the targeting of Mansouriya, and a major explosion in Houla, an Israeli Apache helicopter conducted a sweep operation with its heavy machine guns at the outskirts of the town of Zoutar al-Sharqiya.

While hope remains for setting a date for a ninth round of negotiations between Lebanon and Israel, Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros al-Rahi said in his Sunday sermon: “Lebanese look forward to exiting the circle of waiting and reaching results that preserve Lebanon’s rights, stop aggressions, lead to withdrawal from its land, and restore security and stability to it.”

He added: “For the Lebanese army to remain the unifying national institution, bearing the burden of protecting security and stability and extending the authority of legitimacy, countries must arm it as necessary, so that Lebanese continue to rally around it, and so that the army remains a fortress for the nation and its institutions.”

Al-Rahi continued: “We want Lebanon to have an active neutrality that protects it from axis conflicts,” stressing that “the issue of the state’s monopoly on arms should not turn into a confrontation between Lebanese, nor become a slogan used by one faction against another, nor a material for inciting the street and sectarian division.”

On another note, Al-Rahi delivered a speech during the opening of the “Qannoubin Association for Message and Heritage” on the sidelines of the third session of the Permanent Conference on the heritage of the adjacent “Holy Valley” in Deir el-Qamar. He said: “Christian-Muslim partnership is the essence of the Lebanese entity and its unique specificity.”

While representatives of the heads of sects emphasized the unification of national stances during their speeches at this event, the speech delivered by the representative of the President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, lawyer Antoine Safir, constituted a key national milestone in this context. He conveyed greetings and appreciation from the President, emphasizing that “the choice that admits no alternative is the state. Everyone must be under its roof and the roof of its institutions, so that no group or sect can reduce the state or speak on its behalf.”

He stressed that “Lebanon does not want wars anymore, and that the new generations have the right to live in peace that preserves sovereignty, dignity, and property.”