Lebanon’s president has said that Israel’s occupation of the south was preventing the Lebanese army’s deployment to the area, as the two sides prepare to implement a deal involving the deployment and gradual Israeli withdrawal.
According to a statement from his office, President Joseph Aoun emphasised the need to pressure Israel to withdraw its forces “because the persistence of the occupation undermines the legitimacy of the [Lebanese] state and prevents the army from deploying and the laying of the foundations for achieving a just and lasting peace”.
