Lebanon’s Aoun defends trilateral agremeent, says it ‘does not legitimize’ IDF presence

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun insists that the framework agreement reached in Washington last week “does not legitimize the continuation of the Israeli occupation in Lebanon.”

Aoun says the absence of a timetable was because it was a “framework formula” rather than a final agreement.

“Our shared objective is one: to secure Israel’s withdrawal,” he says, according to a statement from the presidency.

Aoun responds, in particular, to criticism of Article 13 of the framework — like that voiced by Amnesty International and five other NGOs today, who said it “betrays victims of war crimes.”

The Lebanese president says the text affirms the suspension of legal proceedings between the two states during the negotiation period” but “does not preclude” any private entity from taking legal action.

The agreement, to which Israel, the US, and Lebanon are parties, calls for the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group to be disarmed, and for Israel to subsequently withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

Israeli troops have been operating in southern Lebanon since Hezbollah attacked Israel on March 2 in support of Iran.