At UN, Lebanon’s Aoun calls for end of ‘Israeli aggression,’ IDF pullout from Lebanon

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun calls for the “immediate cessation of Israeli aggression” in his country during his speech to the UN General Assembly in New York.

He calls Israel’s presence along Lebanon’s southern border a burden, and demands the “full withdrawal of IDF troops.”

“This will be achieved with the help of the mandate given to [the] United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) working in coordination with the Lebanese Army, over a transitional period, to impose peace and stability. In this context, allow me to extend my gratitude to the members of the Security Council who adopted the decision to renew the UNIFIL’s mandate, to help us achieve lasting peace and stability,” he said in his speech Tuesday.

Under a November 27, 2024, ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, which ended over a year of war, weapons in south Lebanon were to be held only by the state, and the IDF was permitted to act against imminent threats by the terror group.

Israel has since carried out hundreds of attacks on Hezbollah personnel or assets, the vast majority of them in southern Lebanon, though it has also taken action deeper inside the country, including in the Beqaa Valley, a stronghold of the Iran-backed group.

Aoun also urges “the revival of a new political track, aimed at finding a just and permanent solution to the Palestinian issue, based on the decisions of the international community and the principle of a two-state solution, ensuring the right of both states to a secure and dignified existence, as voted by your General Assembly with a majority of 142 states out of 164 states, in the New York Declaration.”