US President Donald Trump met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in Washington. The parties discussed relations with Israel, the disarmament of Hezbollah, and the security situation in southern Lebanon.
During the meeting, Trump stated that the US would continue its support for Lebanon.
Trump: We will help Lebanon. And we will help a lot.
Trump emphasized that one of the main problems is Hezbollah. He also stated that he is ready for direct dialogue with the group if the Lebanese president makes such a request.
Trump: I talk to everyone. I have talked to people that many others thought were not worth talking to. But it works. If the Lebanese president asks me to talk to Hezbollah, I will do it.
When asked whether additional military aid would be provided to the Lebanese army by the US President, he said that this issue would be discussed separately.
Aoun: We want to put an end to hostilities once and for all.
Joseph Aoun, the first Lebanese president invited to Washington since 2009, requested that the US continue its support for the Lebanese army.
According to him, the army is the main guarantor of security and stability in the country.
“Without the army, everything would collapse,” Aoun said.
The Lebanese President recalled that the weakening of the army in 1975 led to a civil war, the emergence of armed groups, and the loss of control over the south of the country.
Aoun also thanked Trump for his mediation in the talks between Israel and Lebanon and emphasized that the main goal of the agreements reached is to end hostilities between the two countries once and for all.
US resumes direct flights to Lebanon after 41 years
After the meeting, Trump announced that he had instructed his administration to allow US airlines to operate direct flights to Lebanon.
Regular direct flights between the US and Lebanon were suspended in 1985 after a TWA aircraft was hijacked by Hezbollah militants.
First incident in southern Lebanon
Aoun's visit to Washington coincided with the first phase of the implementation of the Israel-Lebanon agreement. The Lebanese army has begun to take up positions in the Zautar al-Gharbiya region, from which the Israeli army has withdrawn.
However, an incident occurred during the handover of the territory.
According to the Lebanese army, Israeli soldiers opened fire in the vicinity of their units. There were no casualties as a result of the incident.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that Lebanese soldiers had entered a buffer zone of approximately 150 meters under Israeli control with engineering equipment and began dismantling obstacles, after which warning shots were fired into the air and the Lebanese units withdrew.
The Israeli army stated that all movements carried out outside the agreed areas must be coordinated in advance.
Situation in the south
The handover of the Zautar al-Gharbiya area to the Lebanese army is considered the first phase of the US-backed plan. According to the plan, Beirut must gradually restore control over a 10-kilometer security zone in the south of the country.
As a result of the fighting in the region in recent months, dozens of settlements have been destroyed, and hospitals, power plants, and water infrastructure have suffered serious damage. Many residents have not yet been able to return to their homes.
According to Lebanese authorities, more than 4,300 people have died in the country during the final phase of the conflict. The Israeli army claims that more than 2,500 Hezbollah members have been neutralized during this period.