Aoun: We call for American, European, and Arab support for the army; the state is determined to monopolize weapons without internal conflict

Beirut – Mansour Shaabani

French President Emmanuel Macron, Lebanese President General Joseph Aoun, and Jordanian King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein will open today the preparatory meeting for the International Conference in Support of the Lebanese Army and Internal Security Forces. The conference is being held at the Les Invalides palace in Paris, where President Aoun is visiting at the invitation of President Macron. The two leaders are expected to discuss the situation in Lebanon and bilateral relations.

Before leaving Baabda Palace, President Aoun told the French news agency AFP that “Lebanon is seeking to reach a security agreement with Israel that would end the state of hostility.” He affirmed that “the state is determined to monopolize weapons in its own hands,” while stressing the “necessity of achieving this without entering into internal confrontation.” He added: “The goal is not confrontation; the goal is to implement this project, or to extend the state’s authority and centralize weapons under its responsibility. The aim is not to build a state while there is a bloody conflict within Lebanon and internal strife. The goal is to build a state without resorting to civil war or internal conflict.”

President Aoun clarified that “Lebanon wants to find an alternative force to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) to avoid any vacuum after the end of its mandate.” He noted that “the most important thing is to avoid a vacuum, and any force that comes under any name must be given a legal framework, with the fundamental principle of that framework being state sovereignty.” He further stated that “the purpose of having a force in southern Lebanon is to assist the army and strengthen the state, not to replace the state.”

President Aoun called for “American, European, and Arab support for the Lebanese Army,” noting that “what you are asking of the army requires assistance for the Lebanese state.” He continued: “We will bear our responsibility, but our partners—the Arab states, Europe, and the United States—must share that responsibility with us by supporting the army and strengthening the Lebanese state.”

Meanwhile, the government has spent the second consecutive day navigating a multi-directional parliamentary labyrinth amid the hurdles of accountability under the dome of the Lebanese Parliament in central Beirut. The intervention by Antoine Habbachi, a member of the “Strong Republic” bloc and MP for the Lebanese Forces party, drew attention. Habbachi stated: “The important thing is implementing the decision to centralize weapons; the government’s failure or success hinges on implementing its decisions.” He argued that “those who should be held accountable are the officials in power who put one foot in the military and the other in agriculture. There are officials who have shielded weapons and washed their hands in a cheap, sarcastic manner.” Addressing Speaker of the Parliament Nabih Berri, he said: “The ‘Framework Agreement’ is a bird if we want to fly, but it returned five prisoners, whereas the 2024 agreement, which you sponsored, did not return a single prisoner.”

In the south, the airspace remained exposed and the ground open to the Israeli army, which resumed using the “Hermes 450” drone. This drone, tasked with reconnaissance and surveillance, carries electro-optical and thermal cameras and electronic intelligence systems. It flew silently over the city of Nabatieh at a low altitude.

Yesterday, the Israeli army carried out violent explosions in the town of Al-Mansouri south of Tyre, causing strong tremors that terrified residents of neighboring villages. In the town of Halta in the Hasbaya district, an Israeli force infiltrated the area, abducted a citizen, blew up a house, and then withdrew.

Regarding this matter, Environment Minister Tamara Zein issued a statement detailing the impact of the massive explosions and their threat of triggering seismic faults in Lebanon. She noted that “the explosion in Majdal Zoun, using approximately 80 tons of explosives, generated ground waves similar to those resulting from a 3.1-magnitude earthquake, according to data from the National Center for Geophysics, in addition to its direct impact, which split the town in two. The explosion near the Shqif Castle, using approximately 700 tons of explosives, generated ground waves similar to those resulting from a 3.8-magnitude earthquake. Similarly, the explosion on Ali Al-Taher Hill, using approximately 1,100 tons of explosives, generated ground waves similar to those resulting from a 4.2-magnitude earthquake on the Richter scale.”