Lebanon’s Aoun calls on the US to remain ‘always close’ to his country Israel attacks Lebanon News

In a speech of thanks on US Independence Day, Aoun says he hopes Lebanon ‘can open a new page of hope, peace and stability’.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has asked the United States to stand by Beirut to follow suit a symbol of unity between Lebanon and Israel, Washington’s mediator.

In a message of thanks to President Donald Trump to celebrate the 250th Independence Day of the United States, Aoun urged Washington to “continue to stand by the interests and causes of Lebanon, its institutions, soldiers and people”.

He added that he hoped Lebanon could “turn a page in the war… and open a new page of hope, peace and stability”.

The US Ambassador to Lebanon said in X’s letter that “I am proud that we stand with the Lebanese people as they build a better future – peace, prosperity and promise for the long term”.

Last week, Israel and Lebanon signed a US-backed deal to end the conflict with the Hezbollah militant group that continues in southern Lebanon.

The agreement also includes calls for the disarmament of Hezbollah, a gradual withdrawal from Israel southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army to the area, starting with two airfields.

But Hezbollah said to be rejected the agreement, which did not set a timeline for Israel’s withdrawal.

Hezbollah joined the United States-Israel conflict with Iran on March 2 and fired rockets into Israel in retaliation for the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

In response to the attack, Israel launched a massive campaign of airstrikes and ground attacks in southern Lebanon, seizing large swathes of territory.

According to the Ministry of Health in Lebanon on Saturday, the number of people who have died since March 2 has reached 4,303 killed and 12,202 injured.

During a tour of southern Lebanon, including the heavily damaged city of Nabatieh, on Saturday, the Minister of Social Affairs, Haneen Sayed, said the government was preparing a plan that included “pre-arranged houses and rent payments” to help people return to their homes or move to neighboring areas.

Sayed also said that 400,000 refugees have returned to their communities in southern Lebanon.

But threats have continued in southern Lebanon, with the country’s National News Agency (NNA) reporting on Saturday that an Israeli Apache helicopter fired five missiles at the town of Majdal Zoun.

Separately, the NNA reported that one person was injured after an Israeli strike on the village of al-Mansouri.

MeIn a statement on Saturday, the Israeli army said its forces killed a soldier “in a security zone” in southern Lebanon, where the army is stationed.

“Earlier today, IDF soldiers identified a terrorist operating inside the Security Zone, in the Majdal Zoun area of ​​southern Lebanon,” the army said, adding that the army “opened up to the terrorist” and after a thorough investigation, “removed him”.