The National News Agency reported on Tuesday evening that Aoun met with Guterres on the sidelines of his participation in the UN General Assembly. Guterres welcomed President Aoun and said, “The UN’s stance is clear regarding supporting the Lebanese army in its responsibilities,” expressing appreciation for the Lebanese government’s efforts to enhance its role in security and to confine weapons to the Lebanese Armed Forces. The UN Secretary-General noted that “he is aware that President Aoun is working for the good of Lebanon and to secure a safe and stable future for it.” Joseph Aoun expressed his gratitude to Guterres for his interest in Lebanon and his keenness to assist on all occasions, as well as his efforts to renew the UNIFIL forces in the south and the importance of their presence to maintain stability and calm, in continuous coordination with the Lebanese army. President Aoun briefed Guterres on the “atmosphere of ongoing Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and the massacres committed, such as the Bint Jbeil massacre, which claimed the lives of a family head and three children.” The Israeli army was supposed to complete its withdrawal from the occupied areas by the dawn of January 26, as specified in the agreement within 60 days, but Israel did not meet the deadline, and Washington later announced an extension of the deadline through an Israeli-Lebanese agreement until February 18. Beirut claims that the Israeli army is still present, including in the northern part of the village of Ghajar, which it considers a continuous occupation and a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. According to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, Israeli strikes since November 2024 have resulted in over 235 deaths and more than 500 injuries. On February 18, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz announced that Israeli forces would remain in a “buffer zone” in Lebanon at five observation points along the border line “to ensure the protection of northern settlements.” Despite the agreement, the Israeli army occasionally launches strikes in Lebanon, claiming they are to remove “Hezbollah threats.”
