Beirut - SABA:
Lebanese President Michel Aoun affirmed on Friday that normalization with the Israeli entity "is not part of Lebanon's current foreign policy."
During his meeting with a delegation from the Council on Arab and International Relations—headed by Mohammed Al-Saqr, Amin Gemayel, Fouad Siniora, and Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Tarek Mitri—President Aoun distinguished between peace and normalization. He stated, "Peace means the absence of war, and this is what concerns Lebanon at present. As for normalization, it is not part of Lebanon's current foreign policy," according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
President Aoun's remarks mark the first official Lebanese response to statements by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who said on June 30 that "Israel is interested" in normalizing relations with Syria and Lebanon.
Aoun emphasized that "through unity, the Lebanese can overcome all difficulties and dangers. Without this unity, it will not be easy to confront the challenges facing Lebanon and its people."
He informed the delegation that "the implementation of Resolution 1701 in the area south of the Litani River is being handled by the Lebanese Army in cooperation with the international forces (UNIFIL) in all areas from which the Israeli army has withdrawn. However, the Israeli entity continues to obstruct the full deployment of the Lebanese Army up to the internationally recognized border."
Aoun attributed this to "the continued Israeli occupation of five strategically insignificant hills, as well as Israel's fabrication of flimsy excuses to persist in violating international resolutions and last November's agreement through ongoing hostile actions and its refusal to release Lebanese detainees."