BEIRUT / ISTANBUL

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Thursday the army is performing its duties “precisely” in southern Lebanon, rejecting Israeli claims that Beirut has fallen short of its obligations under last year’s ceasefire deal.

Speaking during a meeting in Beirut with Anne-Claire Legendre, a political adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron, Aoun said the army cannot complete its deployment from the Litani River to the international border because of “Israel’s continued occupation of Lebanese territory, its ongoing hostile actions and its failure to implement the agreement announced in November 2024,” his office said in a statement.

He said the army continues to work in areas south of the Litani where it has already deployed, focusing on seizing weapons and ammunition, uncovering tunnels and storage sites, and extending full state authority, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1701 and the security plan requested by the Lebanese government.

The Lebanese government decided on Aug. 5 to restrict all weapons to the state, including Hezbollah’s, and instructed the army to implement a plan before the end of 2025. Hezbollah maintains it will not disarm before Israel ends its assaults.

The army is “implementing its directives precisely, contrary to Israel’s campaigns that aim to undermine the military’s capabilities and its role, which is supported by all Lebanese,” Aoun added.

He criticized unnamed countries for adopting Israel’s accusations, saying they ignore Israel’s “ongoing attacks” and its violations of the ceasefire agreement.

Aoun said 12 Lebanese soldiers have been killed while on duty since the ceasefire took effect, calling the accusations of army negligence “pure fabrication.”

He added that the military needs equipment and vehicles, urging support for the “Conference in Support of the Lebanese Army,” which France is working to organize with the US and Saudi Arabia.

Aoun also welcomed potential European participation in maintaining stability after the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission withdraws at the end of 2026. He said the army’s numbers will increase to 10,000 troops by the end of this year.

Legendre conveyed Macron’s commitment to continuing support for Lebanon, the statement said.

During her visit, she also met with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to discuss developments in Lebanon and the region.

Tensions have been mounting in southern Lebanon for weeks, with the Israeli army intensifying near-daily air raids inside Lebanese territory, allegedly targeting Hezbollah members and infrastructure.

The Israeli army has killed more than 4,000 people and injured nearly 17,000 in its attacks on Lebanon, which began in October 2023 and turned into a full-scale offensive in September 2024.

Under the November 2024 ceasefire, the Israeli army was supposed to withdraw from southern Lebanon this January but instead only partially pulled out and continues to maintain a military presence at five border outposts.