Aoun: Ending hostility with Israel means ending wars

President Joseph Aoun on Wednesday said that the loyalty of the Lebanese must be to their country, warning that “anyone who seeks external backing against a fellow citizen at home is bound to lose, because foreign powers will eventually abandon them.”

“No war in Lebanon has ever produced a winner; rather, everyone lost, and the nation itself suffered. We chose the path of negotiation because we are a sovereign state; this decision serves Lebanon’s interests and is not intended to appease any foreign party,” Aoun said.

“When I call for ending the state of hostility with Israel, I mean ending the wars that devastated the country and claimed innocent lives -- wars we can no longer afford to endure. Any other interpretation is erroneous and suspect,” the president added.