ISTANBUL

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stressed on Saturday Lebanon’s commitment to Israel’s withdrawal from occupied southern territories within the timeline set by a ceasefire agreement, which is set to expire in seven days.

A statement came during Aoun’s meeting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the presidential palace in Baabda in eastern Beirut.

The Lebanese presidency noted that discussions focused on developments. Aoun reiterated Lebanon’s insistence on the withdrawal of Israeli forces from its occupied territories in the south, as stipulated in the agreement reached Nov. 27.

Aoun condemned “the ongoing Israeli violations, including ground and aerial breaches, particularly the demolition of homes and destruction of border villages.”

He emphasized that the actions "completely contradict the ceasefire agreement and constitute a continued violation of Lebanese sovereignty and international will."

Aoun commended “the resilience of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in the face of attacks on their positions” during the recent Israeli war against Lebanon. He stressed the importance of full coordination between the Lebanese army and UNIFIL.

In addition to his discussions with Aoun, Guterres met Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri at the parliament building.

Lebanon’s National News Agency said they discussed "the general situation in Lebanon and the region, as well as the political and field developments in light of Israel’s continued breaches of the ceasefire agreement and its occupation of parts of Lebanon’s southern border territories."

Guterres also met Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam at his residence in the Qoraitem area. Salam expressed confidence in Guterres’ ability to rally diplomatic support to ensure Israel’s withdrawal by the deadline.

He highlighted his expectation that Guterres would work to gather international support for a reconstruction conference announced by French President Emmanuel Macron, which is expected to take place soon with significant global backing.

Salam stressed the need for Lebanon and the UN “to begin preparations for the safe and dignified return of Syrian refugees,” following the fall of Bashar Assad's regime on Dec. 8, which has changed the situation in Syria.

Guterres began a three-day visit to Lebanon on Thursday, described by a UN spokesperson as a "visit of solidarity" to the Arab country following A prolonged war it endured.

Since Nov. 27, a fragile ceasefire has been in place, ending a period of mutual shelling between Israel and the Lebanese resistance group, Hezbollah, that began Oct. 8, 2023, and escalated into full-scale conflict Sept. 23,

Israel has carried out 564 violations of the ceasefire deal as of Friday, killing 37 people and injuring an additional 45, according to Lebanese official data compiled by Anadolu.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala