The Lebanese President: Negotiation is safer than war, and we have no other choice

The Lebanese Presidency quoted Aoun as saying to a delegation from the Lebanese Private Sector Network:

Negotiation is safer than war, as we have seen and continue to see the woes and consequences of war; however, it will not resolve the problem in a matter of moments. Rather, it is a path that requires time, and we have no other choice.

Unfortunately, some consider negotiation to be a surrender, but it is not. Just as it is not a concession, it is a solution to stop wars with the minimum possible damage.

We will not back

down from our choice, and all of us as officials in Lebanon are doing the impossible.

Negotiations may hit obstacles or be delayed in reaching the goal we want, but they are moving forward.

All matters are resolved through negotiation, no matter how long it takes. War will not lead to a result for any of its parties.

The Army did not declare that the Southern region has become demilitarized and weapon-free. According to the military concept, the Army has established operational control over the area. Demilitarizing the South requires time given the geographical nature of this terrain, which is rich in mountains and valleys, and the Army has fulfilled its duties in this regard.

The rockets fired at the beginning of the war were from the area north of the Litani. We must also clarify that the Israelis, for their part, did not facilitate the implementation of the ceasefire agreement, under which Israel was supposed to evacuate the five points it occupied. Instead, it continued its military operations and the shelling of villages under the pretext of self-defense.

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