The President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, today called on the U.S. to stand by his country following a framework agreement signed in Washington with Israel aimed at achieving “lasting peace,” which is contested by the pro-Iranian Hezbollah.

The agreement, signed on June 26 with U.S. mediation, stipulates that the Lebanese army will reestablish its authority in the southern part of the country, provided that Hezbollah is disarmed, starting with “pilot zones” from which the Israeli army will withdraw.

In a congratulatory letter to his American counterpart, Donald Trump, on the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, the Lebanese president called on him to “continue to steadfastly support the just and equitable goals of Lebanon, (…) of its army in order to (…) turn a new page (…) of peace,” according to a press release from the Lebanese presidency.

On the same occasion, the U.S. Embassy confirmed to X that it stands “with the people of Lebanon, who are working to forge (…) a future of peace, prosperity, and long-awaited promises.”

Hezbollah dragged Lebanon into the regional war on March 2 by attacking Israel, confirming that it had acted in retaliation for the death of Iran’s supreme leader, who had been killed in a U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28.

Israel had responded with a major bombing campaign and a ground operation, intensifying calls for the evacuation of entire regions of southern Lebanon. The Israeli operations resulted in the deaths of 4,300 people, according to Beirut.

The memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 between Tehran and Washington allowed for the implementation of a ceasefire beginning on June 21.

Since then, more than 600,000 displaced Lebanese have returned to their homes, out of a total of more than 1 million, according to the International Organization for Migration.

The return to dozens of communities in the south—particularly those near the border, which have been largely destroyed by Israeli forces—remains uncertain.

The country’s Minister of Social Affairs, Hanine Sayed, who visited southern Lebanon today, particularly the city of Nabatieh, stated that plans are in place to build “prefabricated homes and provide rental subsidies” to facilitate the return of displaced residents.

For its part, Israel continues to carry out sporadic attacks, particularly within or near the zone it has occupied in the south.

Lebanon’s national news agency (Ani) reported today an Israeli strike in Mansouri, near Tyre, which left one person injured.

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Source: APE-MPE