Lebanese President Joseph Aoun seeks security deal with Israel and arms control

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun announced his intention to pursue a security agreement with Israel to formally end hostilities, conditional upon the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon. In an interview with AFP on September 16, 2026, Aoun stated that such an agreement could serve as a foundation for future peace between the two nations. He emphasized his commitment to centralizing control of weapons within the state, aiming to disarm groups like Hezbollah without triggering internal conflict.

To manage the security vacuum following the scheduled conclusion of the UN peacekeeping mission in late December 2026, Aoun is calling for a new international force, potentially European, to be deployed. He is traveling to Paris to attend a conference with French President Emmanuel Macron and King Abdullah II of Jordan, where he will advocate for increased international support to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces. The goal is for the national army to deploy throughout the country, including the south, as Israeli forces gradually withdraw under a previously signed framework agreement.