President Joseph Aoun promised to work to preserve Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence.
Published on 17 April 2026
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has said the country will no longer be “an arena for anyone’s war”, and that a ceasefire with Israel should lead to permanent agreements.
In a televised address to the Lebanese public on Friday, he said that Lebanon was no longer “a pawn in anyone’s game, nor an arena in anyone’s war, and we will never be that again”.
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His speech came a day after Lebanon and Israel announced a 10-day ceasefire, providing a reprieve from Israeli attacks that began on March 2, when Hezbollah fired on Israel, killing more than 2,200 people and displacing more than a million.
Aoun said they are “entering a phase of transition from working on a ceasefire to working on lasting agreements that preserve the rights of our people, the integrity of our land and the sovereignty of our nation.”
He expressed gratitude to those who helped end hostilities, naming United States President Donald Trump and “all our Arab brothers, foremost among them the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Aoun promised that any agreement would not violate the country’s rights or cede any of its lands, and that negotiations were not a weakness or a concession.
The ceasefire was announced days after Lebanon and Israel held their first direct talks in decades in Washington, which were criticized by the Lebanese population.
The President said, “Our objective is clear and declared: to stop Israeli aggression against our lands and our people, to achieve Israel’s return, to extend the state’s authority over all its lands by its armies, to ensure the return of prisoners and to enable our families to return to their homes and villages in safety, freedom and dignity.”
Israel continues to occupy areas of southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying troops will not withdraw during the ceasefire.
