Lebanese President Rejects Israeli Occupation, Foreign Interference as U.S.-Mediated Talks Resume

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Tuesday reaffirmed his country's rejection of Israel's continued military presence in southern Lebanon and denounced all forms of foreign interference, as a fifth round of Israel-Lebanon talks got underway in Washington.

In a statement released by his office, Aoun stressed that Lebanon's future rests solely on its national institutions and sovereignty.

"We accept nothing less than an end to the Israeli occupation and, at the same time, the fall of foreign tutelage, because our only option is our national sovereignty and our sole wager is on the Lebanese state," he said, in an apparent reference to both Israel and Iran.

Aoun expressed hope that the latest round of negotiations would prove decisive in securing "the full restoration of Lebanon's sovereignty over every grain of its soil," describing the talks as a critical step toward safeguarding the country's national interests.

The negotiations come amid renewed violence in southern Lebanon despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that two civilians were killed on Tuesday after Israeli forces opened machine-gun fire while they were standing near an excavator clearing a road in the town of Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Lebanon's Health Ministry later confirmed the fatalities.

Hezbollah condemned the incident as a "blatant" violation of the ceasefire and described it as a "treacherous attack."

The Israeli military offered a different account, saying its troops initially fired warning shots at four suspected Hezbollah operatives traveling on a bulldozer and a motorcycle before opening additional fire "to remove the threat."

In a separate statement, the Israeli army said it had identified "a cell of armed terrorists" operating near its forces inside an Israeli-declared security zone extending roughly 10 kilometers into southern Lebanon, adding that the group was targeted to eliminate an immediate threat.

Separately, Lebanon's state-run NNA reported that an Israeli drone struck a parked vehicle on the outskirts of the town of Baraasheet. No casualties were immediately reported.

Israel has maintained a military presence in parts of southern Lebanon following months of cross-border fighting with Hezbollah. Although a ceasefire has significantly reduced hostilities, both sides continue to accuse each other of violations. The U.S.-mediated talks aim to address outstanding security issues, facilitate the implementation of ceasefire arrangements, and advance efforts to stabilize the border region.