Lebanon President Joseph Aoun visits south as Israel tensions persist

Joseph Aoun visited Nabatiyeh with security chiefs as fears of fresh Israeli attacks persisted. The trip highlighted public anxiety in southern Lebanon even as ceasefire-era talks moved ahead.

In Short

• Residents in Nabatiyeh sought stronger army presence and reassurance from authorities
• Israel seized parts of Ali Taher ridge despite June ceasefire
• Direct Lebanon-Israel talks are scheduled in Rome this October with US backing

Lebanon President Joseph Aoun visited the country’s south on Saturday amid fears of more Israeli attacks, after Israel earlier this month seized parts of the Ali Taher ridge despite a US-brokered ceasefire that came into effect on June 20. The visit underlined tensions in the area as residents called for stronger security and reassurance.

Aoun travelled to Nabatiyeh, accompanied by the heads of Lebanon’s security agencies, according to the state-run National News Agency. The visit came as Lebanon and Israel prepared for another round of direct talks, which the US State Department said will be held in Rome in October, even as Hezbollah opposed such engagement.

According to Israeli officials, their forces blew up Hezbollah tunnel networks after taking parts of the strategic hill. The ceasefire had largely stopped the fighting that began on March 2, when the Iran-backed Hezbollah fired rockets into Israel, two days after the US and Israel launched a war on Iran. But Israel has continued attacks and airstrikes in southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has also fired explosive drones without claiming responsibility.

Some residents of Nabatiyeh have been urging the Lebanese army to increase its presence in the city to avoid a possible Israeli ground offensive. In footage shown by local television channels, a man told Aoun that people wanted to feel secure and wanted their children to be safe after being displaced and humiliated. The latest Israel-Hezbollah war killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon and displaced over 1 million. Since the ceasefire began, hundreds of thousands have returned to their homes in southern Lebanon and Beirut’s southern suburbs.

Aoun said the state would follow up on the needs of residents “so that you stay here”. While Lebanon and Israel have held several rounds of direct talks in Washington and Rome, Hezbollah has rejected direct talks with Israel and has called on the government to scrap the framework agreement reached in June. The president’s visit reflected both the unease in southern Lebanon and the effort to reassure residents as tensions continue despite the ceasefire.

With PTI Inputs

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