Lebanese President Joseph Aoun affirmed on Wednesday that the logic of force is no longer useful and that Lebanon must resort to the power of logic, indicating that the government has not received a response from Israel on his announcement of favoring negotiations.
Meanwhile, Speaker Nabih Berri urged on Wednesday the committee monitoring the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel to stop the Israeli attacks and occupation, and called on the Lebanese to stay united in the face of the Israeli aggression.
Aoun and Berri’s positions came while the ceasefire committee held its 13th meeting in Al-Naqoura, headed by chairman, US General Joseph Clearfield, but in the absence of US envoy Morgan Ortagus, who attended the committee’s last meeting.
According to sources, the committee discussed the escalating Israeli violations, especially those recorded last week in the south, particularly an incident near a Lebanese army base, which Lebanon said constitutes a flagrant violation of the ceasefire agreement.
Accept Negotiations Before Setting Conditions
During a meeting with a delegation from the Council of the Order of Press Editors led by Joseph Kossaifi, Aoun said: “The war has only brought us tragedies. While the region moves toward settlements, then what choice do we have?”
Aoun noted that Lebanon has not yet received feedback from Washington regarding its proposal for negotiations with Israel.
He expressed cautious optimism, saying he expects progress once the new US ambassador to Lebanon (Michel Issa) arrives, potentially carrying a response from Israel.
“We have mentioned the principle of negotiation and we are yet to discuss the details, but we have not received an (Israeli) answer to our proposal. When we get an approval, we would talk about our conditions,” the President said.
Aoun then asked “are we capable of entering a war and can the rhetoric of war solve the problem? Let someone answer these two questions.”
Asked whether he had addressed these points directly with Hezbollah, Aoun confirmed that he had. “Yes, I told them openly,” he said. “The approach of force is no longer of use- we must rely on the power of logic instead. After 15 years of war in Vietnam, the United States was obliged to go to negotiations, and Hamas has also been obliged to go to negotiations.”
Virtual Investigation
Discussing the Beirut port explosion, Aoun said he had “contacted senior Bulgarian officials, and obtained approval to conduct a virtual investigation with the owner of the vessel MV Rhosus, which carried the ammonium nitrate that caused the 2020 Beirut explosion in the Lebanese capital.
He said Lebanese Justice Minister Adel Nassar will raise soon an official request to his Bulgarian counterpart in this regard.
Elections and National Dialogue
Aoun explained that calls for a national dialogue before the upcoming parliamentary elections would amount to a “dialogue of the deaf.”
He said there is firm determination from himself, Speaker Nabih Berri, and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam to hold next year’s parliamentary elections on time despite “some (officials) not wishing elections to take place.”
No Handing Lebanon Over to Syria
Aoun dismissed talk of “handing Lebanon over to Syria” as unjustified and unnecessary.
He described as positive the last meeting between US President Donald Tramp and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Washington this week, affirming that the lifting of US sanctions on Syria will have a positive impact on Lebanon.
Berri Calls for National Approach
Meanwhile, Berri on Wednesday said the Israeli threat facing south Lebanon constitutes a danger to all Lebanese, adding that such threats must be addressed “with a national approach.”
“The Israeli threats that have targeted and continue to target the south actually concern all Lebanese. [They] must understand these dangers, these challenges, and their consequences in a national context,” he said.
On the sidelines of a meeting with a delegation of religious leaders representing the governorate of Akkar, Berri urged the ceasefire monitoring committee and member states to stop Israel's attacks and occupation, and called on the Lebanese to stay united in the face of the Israeli aggression.
