Beirut: Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun has declared that his nation is not seeking to normalize relations with Israel. President Aoun made this statement in response to recent comments by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who suggested the possibility of normalizing ties between the two countries.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, President Aoun emphasized that Lebanon’s current focus is on maintaining peace, defined as the absence of war, rather than pursuing normalization with Israel. He stated, “Peace is the lack of a state of war, and this is what matters to us in Lebanon at the moment. As for the issue of normalization, it is not currently part of Lebanese foreign policy.”

President Aoun also called for Israel to fully withdraw from Lebanese territory. His remarks follow ongoing tensions as Israel continues to violate a ceasefire agreement established in November last year, which concluded over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah’s resistance movement.

The ceasefire terms required Hezbollah to retreat north of the Litani River, approximately 30 kilometers from the border with Israeli-occupied territories, while Israel was supposed to withdraw its troops entirely. However, Israel still occupies five strategic locations in southern Lebanon and frequently conducts strikes, especially in the southern regions of the country.