Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Friday urged Israel to halt its airstrikes on southern Lebanon and engage in mutual negotiations to end its occupation, as German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul visited Beirut to discuss efforts to restore calm along the border.
Aoun accused Israel of responding to Lebanon’s call for dialogue by escalating its attacks, the latest of which killed a man riding a motorbike in the southern village of Kunin. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency said Israeli drones struck several targets across the south, killing two people, while Israel claimed it eliminated a Hezbollah maintenance officer rebuilding the group’s infrastructure.
“Lebanon is ready for negotiations to end the Israeli occupation,” Aoun told Wadephul after their meeting at the Presidential Palace. “But any talks cannot be one-sided – they require mutual will, which is still lacking.” He added that the Lebanese army’s deployment in the south would increase to 10,000 troops before the end of the year, in coordination with U.N. peacekeepers, to enforce the ceasefire terms.
Despite a U.S.-brokered cease-fire last November that ended the latest Israeli attacks, Tel Aviv has maintained troops in five areas of southern Lebanon and continues to carry out regular airstrikes, claiming it is targeting Hezbollah positions. Lebanese officials, meanwhile, criticize Israel for striking civilian areas and destroying infrastructure unrelated to the group.
The cease-fire followed a year of cross-border hostilities triggered by the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel and Hezbollah’s subsequent rocket fire in support of Gaza. Israeli raids and artillery fire escalated into open war in September 2024 before the ceasefire took effect.
During his visit, Wadephul called on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanese territory, saying, “Israel must withdraw. I understand its security needs, but we now need a process of mutual trust-building.” He also pressed the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah, calling it “a mammoth task” but a “basic prerequisite” for long-term stability.
Wadephul later met Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi, who urged Berlin to help pressure Israel to stop its attacks. “Only a diplomatic solution, not a military one, can ensure stability and guarantee calm in the south,” Raggi said.
Hezbollah leader Naim Kassem voiced support for Aoun’s order directing the Lebanese army to confront Israeli incursions, calling it “a responsible position upon which we build.”
Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed at least 25 people in October, including one Syrian, according to figures from Lebanon’s Health Ministry. The U.N. human rights office said Israeli forces have killed 111 civilians since the ceasefire went into effect.
