Beirut: Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday announced that the army's deployment south of the Litani River now covers more than 85 percent of the area. He highlighted the strategic significance of this deployment in the context of national security.
According to Kuwait News Agency, President Aoun addressed a delegation of French legislators, emphasizing the challenges posed by the Israeli occupation forces, which continue to control five strategic hills in the border region. This presence, he noted, complicates the Lebanese Army's efforts to establish full control up to the borders.
The President noted the army's collaboration with the United Nations peacekeeping force to enforce UN Resolution 1701. This resolution focuses on ensuring that arms are only in the hands of government-sanctioned forces.
President Aoun reiterated Beirut's dedication to maintaining peacekeepers in the south, highlighting France's crucial role in the peacekeeping mission. Furthermore, he praised French President Emmanuel Macron for his ongoing support and called on both Paris and Washington to pressure Israel into withdrawing from occupied Lebanese territories.