Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called for the implementation of a new ceasefire agreement with Israel, demanding a complete halt to all Israeli action against Hezbollah during a virtual meeting with the President of the European Council Antonio Costa and the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Monday.
Aoun’s proposed initiative included a request to establish a “complete ceasefire” with Israel and a plea for logistical support for the Lebanese Armed Forces.
He stated that after receiving support, the Lebanese military will disarm Hezbollah and “confiscate all weapons” from the terrorist organization.
Simultaneously with attempting to disarm Hezbollah, Lebanon and Israel will engage in “direct negotiations under international sponsorship, to reach the implementation” of ceasefire terms, Aoun suggested.
Aoun noted that on March 2, the Lebanese government announced a ban on all Hezbollah military actions after the terror group launched strikes against Israel in an attempted retaliation for the death of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Hezbollah attempting to 'buy fall of Lebanese state'
He decried Hezbollah’s attack as an attempt to lure the IDF into conflict with Lebanon perpetrated by those who want to “buy the fall of the Lebanese state… at the price of destroying dozens of our villages and the fall of tens of thousands of our people for the sake of the Iranian regime's calculations.”
Aoun lamented the impact of Israel’s retaliation against Hezbollah, stating that more than 600,000 Lebanese citizens have been displaced as the terror group continues to launch missiles and drones into Israeli territory.
Hezbollah’s strikes, he said, were “a trap and an almost overt ambush for Lebanon and the Lebanese state and the Lebanese people.”
He additionally expressed solidarity and support for Middle Eastern nations that have been “treacherously and reprehensibly targeted by the Iranian regime,” including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and Jordan.
IDF strikes on Hezbollah, IRGC-tied targets
Since March 2, the IDF has killed over 200 Hezbollah fighters and destroyed numerous terror infrastructure sites, including command centers.
As of Wednesday, the Israeli Air Force has carried out over 500 strikes on targets in Lebanon.
The military has additionally struck Iranian regime and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites in Lebanon as part of Operation Roaring Lion and retaliation for Hezbollah joining Iranian attacks on Israel.
Yonah Jeremy Bob and Tobias Siegel contributed to this report.