Lebanese president calls for diplomacy with Israel amid border tensions

BEIRUT - Lebanon has no choice but to negotiate with Israel, President Joseph Aoun said on Monday, stressing that diplomacy should take precedence over war, according to a statement from the presidency.

"In politics, there are three tools: diplomacy, economy, and war. When war leads nowhere, what else can we do? Every war in the world eventually ends with negotiations, and negotiation is never with a friend or ally, but with an enemy," Aoun said during a meeting with officials at Baabda Palace.

He added that "the language of negotiation is more important than the language of war, which we have seen only brings destruction," and praised the diplomatic efforts of Lebanon's leadership, including Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.

Aoun emphasized that Lebanon's national interest must take precedence over political, religious, and sectarian considerations. He urged politicians to prioritize national unity over electoral ambitions and to move beyond sectarian divisions that have long undermined the country's stability.

In late October, Aoun ordered the Lebanese army to respond to any Israeli incursions in the south following a deadly raid on the border village of Blida, a move welcomed by Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem.

A US- and French-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah has been in effect since late November last year, halting months of cross-border hostilities triggered by the war in Gaza.

Despite the truce, Israel has continued to carry out occasional strikes in Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah "threats." Lebanon and several international organizations have condemned the attacks as violations of the ceasefire.