Speaking during a meeting with a delegation from the Culture and Freedom Foundation led by former justice minister Ibrahim Najjar, Aoun dismissed calls for Lebanon to abandon the negotiations and said the government would continue pursuing talks until a settlement serving Lebanon’s national interests is achieved.

“We will not withdraw and we will continue until we reach a conclusion that benefits our nation,” Aoun said, according to remarks released by the presidency.

The Lebanese leader emphasized the role of state institutions in preserving sovereignty and stability, arguing that national authority remains the foundation for addressing the country’s security and political challenges.

Aoun’s comments come amid ongoing diplomatic efforts to stabilize the Israel-Lebanon frontier following months of conflict that have displaced large numbers of civilians and caused extensive damage in southern Lebanon.

Earlier, in a televised interview, Aoun made a rare direct appeal to Israel to pursue a negotiated settlement, arguing that military action alone could not guarantee long-term security.

He said Lebanon’s approach remains aligned with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative, under which Arab states offered normalization of relations with Israel in exchange for the establishment of a Palestinian state and Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories.

Aoun stressed, however, that progress toward broader normalization would require a gradual process and confidence-building measures rather than immediate political breakthroughs.

Lebanon and Israel agreed last week to a new ceasefire arrangement backed by the United States, but tensions have persisted amid reports of continued violence and disagreements over implementation.

The conflict escalated on March 2 when Hezbollah launched attacks against Israel in support of Iran. Israel responded with an extensive air campaign and ground operations that resulted in the occupation of areas in southern Lebanon.

According to figures cited by Lebanese officials, more than 3,600 people have been killed in Israeli military operations in Lebanon, while over one million residents have been displaced by the fighting.

Aoun’s remarks underscore Lebanon’s effort to balance diplomatic engagement with demands for concrete security and territorial guarantees, as international mediators seek to prevent a broader regional escalation.

Afghan government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistani forces “once again violated Afghanistan’s airspace” and struck civilian homes in multiple eastern provinces, including Kunar, Khost and Paktika. He said 11 children, one woman and one elderly man were among the dead, calling the strikes a breach of sovereignty.

An official in Khost province, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that a house in Spera district was hit, killing nine people and injuring 10 others. In a separate incident in Paktika province’s Barmal district, two residents said another strike killed three civilians, all of them children, after a residential home was targeted.

Neither the government of Pakistan nor its military immediately responded to requests for comment. However, Islamabad has repeatedly stated in the past that such operations target militants responsible for attacks inside its territory and are not directed at civilians.

Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained tense since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, with security disputes dominating bilateral ties. Islamabad has accused the Taliban authorities of allowing militants, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to operate from Afghan soil, a charge Kabul has consistently rejected.

The latest strikes come after a brief period of relative calm along the border following months of heightened violence earlier this year, which included cross-border fighting and air operations. A United Nations report cited by AFP previously estimated hundreds of Afghan civilian casualties during earlier phases of the conflict in 2026.

The Pakistan-Afghanistan border has also seen prolonged closures and disruptions to trade following repeated flare-ups in violence, further straining economic and diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

The dispute centers on a 26,000-square-kilometer area in the Gulf of Thailand believed to contain significant oil and natural gas reserves estimated to be worth about $300 billion. Both countries have claimed the area for more than 25 years.

Cambodia this week launched a compulsory conciliation process under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) after Thailand ended a 2001 framework agreement governing negotiations over the contested maritime zone.

Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow said Bangkok would appoint two representatives to participate in the UN-backed process but criticized Cambodia’s decision to move ahead with arbitration rather than continue bilateral negotiations.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn defended the move, saying direct talks had been exhausted and expressing hope that Thailand would engage constructively in the process.

Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said Thailand would halt all other negotiations with Cambodia, including talks related to land-border issues, and maintain the closure of border checkpoints.

Relations between the neighbors have remained strained since deadly border clashes last year that killed nearly 150 people and displaced more than 300,000, although a ceasefire agreed in December remains in place.

The UNCLOS conciliation process involves a five-member panel that issues non-binding recommendations. It has been used successfully only once before, when Timor-Leste and Australia resolved a decades-long maritime dispute.

UNIFIL said the peacekeeper died from critical injuries sustained during Wednesday night’s attack on a base located near the border area where Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters continue to clash. The mission said an investigation had been launched and called on relevant authorities to examine the incident.

Serbia’s defense ministry identified the deceased soldier as Milovan Jovanovic, a senior sergeant who was evacuated to a medical center in Beirut after receiving emergency treatment at the base but later succumbed to his injuries.

The death raises the number of UNIFIL personnel killed since the latest round of hostilities began in March to seven. Around 170 Serbian troops serve within the 7,500-member UN force deployed along the Blue Line, the de facto border separating Lebanon and Israel.

UNIFIL said it had recorded an increasing number of projectiles and impacts across southern Lebanon and renewed calls for an end to the violence.

The peacekeeping mission has suffered multiple casualties in recent months. In March, two Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in separate incidents, while in April two French peacekeepers died in an ambush that French authorities and the UN attributed to Hezbollah, a claim the group denied.

Earlier this week, Antonio Guterres said UN peacekeepers would continue to be needed in Lebanon beyond the expiration of UNIFIL’s current mandate at the end of the year.

Despite formal ceasefire arrangements remaining in place, fighting has persisted across multiple fronts, with Israeli military operations expanding in Gaza and southern Lebanon and U.S. and Iranian forces continuing to exchange fire amid efforts to negotiate more lasting settlements.

In Gaza, an October ceasefire brokered with strong backing from U.S. President Donald Trump ended two years of full-scale warfare and secured the release of remaining hostages seized during Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel. However, key provisions aimed at establishing a postwar framework have yet to be implemented.

Israeli forces have continued military operations in the territory, capturing additional areas and targeting Hamas leaders. Israel now controls roughly 60% of Gaza, up from about half when the ceasefire was agreed, according to figures cited by officials. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel intends to expand its hold further.The United States and Israel have attributed the stalled implementation of the ceasefire to Hamas’ refusal to disarm.

Hamas, in turn, has accused Israel of repeatedly violating the agreement through continued airstrikes and military operations. Local health authorities say at least 932 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire took effect.Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain severe, with hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians continuing to live in temporary camps while reconstruction efforts remain stalled and plans for a new Palestinian governing structure unresolved.

In Lebanon, an April ceasefire has similarly failed to end hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. Fighting intensified over the weekend when Israeli troops raised their flag over Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon, marking Israel’s deepest advance into Lebanese territory since the end of its 1982-2000 occupation.

Hezbollah responded with rocket attacks reaching deeper into northern Israel, underscoring the limited impact of efforts to de-escalate the conflict. The latest exchanges came despite Trump stating that both sides had again agreed to reduce tensions.Israel has said it will continue military operations until it no longer faces threats from Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks.

Lebanese efforts to address Hezbollah’s military status have made little visible progress as clashes continue along the border.The conflict in Lebanon has become increasingly linked to wider regional diplomacy. Iranian officials have demanded a ceasefire in Lebanon as part of any broader understanding with Washington.

Meanwhile, a separate ceasefire reached in early April among the United States, Iran and Israel has also come under strain. The agreement was designed to halt regional hostilities and facilitate the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route whose disruption triggered sharp increases in energy prices.

Iran initially announced it would reopen the waterway but later reinstated restrictions after the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Washington has called for the unrestricted reopening of the strait and seeks concessions from Tehran regarding its nuclear program, while Iran has demanded sanctions relief, an end to the blockade and guarantees against renewed military action.

Negotiators appeared close to an agreement last week but failed to reach a breakthrough. Trump has repeatedly warned that military action could resume if Iran retains its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, while Iranian officials have said substantive nuclear discussions require a more durable ceasefire.

Military incidents have continued in and around the Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the United States said it struck Iranian radar and drone facilities after Tehran allegedly downed a U.S. drone over the weekend. Iran subsequently said it launched missiles targeting American personnel in Kuwait, while U.S. officials said the missiles were intercepted.

In a statement posted on X, U.S. Central Command said it would continue protecting American forces while supporting efforts to maintain the ceasefire.

The persistence of military operations across Gaza, Lebanon and the Gulf highlights the growing gap between formal ceasefire agreements and conditions on the ground, where competing security objectives and unresolved political disputes continue to fuel violence.

The criticism followed Trump’s statement that Israel would suspend planned strikes on Hezbollah targets in Beirut as part of a new ceasefire arrangement. Lebanon later confirmed an agreement under which Israel would stop attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs while Hezbollah would halt attacks on Israel.

Opposition figures, including former prime minister Naftali Bennett and centrist leader Yair Lapid, accused Netanyahu of yielding to U.S. pressure. Bennett said the government had “lost control of Israeli sovereignty,” while Lapid argued Israel was acting as if it were under American oversight.

Netanyahu rejected the criticism, saying Israel’s policy remained unchanged and warning that any future Hezbollah attacks would trigger strikes on militant targets in Beirut.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel had refrained from attacking Beirut at Washington’s request but warned that renewed Hezbollah attacks would bring a military response.

The dispute highlights growing political tensions ahead of elections expected by October, with Netanyahu facing pressure from rivals who favor a tougher military approach toward Hezbollah.

The renewed offensive comes as diplomatic efforts involving the United States and Iran continue in parallel to end a wider regional conflict that has drawn in multiple fronts across the Middle East, including the Israel-Hezbollah confrontation along the Lebanese border.

In a video statement, Netanyahu said he had directed the Israeli military to accelerate operations against the Iran-backed militant group, citing continued drone attacks on Israeli positions.

“I have ordered an even greater acceleration of our operations,” Netanyahu said, adding that Israel would intensify its military campaign and increase firepower against Hezbollah.

The Israeli military subsequently launched a series of strikes across the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon and targeted multiple locations in southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency.

Lebanese media reported that at least three people were killed in separate strikes involving two vehicles and a motorcycle. Additional airstrikes were reported near the coastal city of Tyre and in other areas of southern Lebanon.

The escalation followed evacuation warnings issued by the Israeli military for residents in 10 villages in southern Lebanon. Israeli authorities accused Hezbollah of violating the April 17 ceasefire agreement through continued attacks on Israeli forces and territory.

Israeli military spokesman Avichay Adraee said operations were being conducted in response to Hezbollah activities that breached the truce.
Hezbollah said it had carried out several drone attacks against Israeli military positions on Monday and later announced strikes targeting three military barracks and an additional post in northern Israel. The group described its actions as retaliation for Israeli violations of the ceasefire.

Despite the agreement reached in April, hostilities have persisted almost daily, underscoring the fragility of efforts to stabilize the Israel-Lebanon frontier.
The violence prompted visible displacement in parts of Lebanon. Residents were seen leaving neighborhoods in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah, following warnings of possible expanded military action.

According to Lebanese authorities, Israeli operations since the outbreak of fighting in early March have killed more than 3,100 people. Israel said one soldier was killed in southern Lebanon on Sunday, bringing the number of Israeli military fatalities in the conflict to 23. One civilian contractor has also been reported killed.

Pressure for a broader military campaign has intensified within Israel’s governing coalition. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for harsher retaliatory measures against Hezbollah drone attacks, while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir advocated a return to intensive warfare and greater territorial control in southern Lebanon.

Israeli forces currently maintain positions inside a security zone extending several kilometers into Lebanese territory. The military has identified the Litani River as a strategic boundary beyond which Hezbollah fighters should not operate.

Amid the escalation, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun reaffirmed his demand for a full Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, describing the issue as non-negotiable. He also defended ongoing indirect contacts between Lebanese and Israeli officials.

The two countries, which do not maintain diplomatic relations, are scheduled to participate in talks in Washington on June 2 and 3, preceded by military-level discussions at the Pentagon later this week.
Meanwhile, Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem reiterated opposition to direct negotiations with Israel and rejected calls for the group to disarm, signaling that key obstacles to a durable settlement remain unresolved.

The latest escalation highlights the challenge facing regional mediators seeking to contain multiple interconnected conflicts across the Middle East as negotiations over Iran, maritime security and broader ceasefire arrangements continue.

The ministry said six people were killed in a strike on the village of Deir Qanun Al-Nahr, including two members of the Risala Scouts association, one of whom also worked as a freelance photographer. A Syrian girl was also among the dead, according to the ministry.

The Risala Scouts association is affiliated with the Amal movement, a Lebanese political and military organization allied with Hezbollah.

In a separate incident earlier on Friday, the health ministry said an Israeli strike on the southern town of Hanaway killed four rescuers from the Islamic Health Committee, an organization linked to Hezbollah.
The reported fatalities underscore continuing security tensions in southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire that has largely reduced large-scale hostilities following the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.

Lebanese authorities have repeatedly reported casualties from Israeli strikes in border regions, while Israel has said it targets individuals and infrastructure it considers security threats.

The health ministry said more than 120 paramedics have been killed in Israeli attacks since March.

The blast struck Naurang Bazar in the Sarai Nawrang area near Bannu District, close to the Afghan border, according to emergency officials and local authorities.Witnesses described scenes of panic after the explosion tore through the busy marketplace, damaging storefronts and vehicles as residents and rescue workers rushed to evacuate the wounded.

Rescue 1122 said nine people were killed and around 30 others wounded in the attack, adding that critically injured victims had been transferred to hospitals in Bannu for treatment.Dr. Mohammad Ishaq said the hospital had received at least 37 injured patients, several of whom remained in critical condition.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing.The attack came days after a coordinated assault involving a car bomb and armed ambush on a police checkpoint in Bannu district killed 15 police officers. Pakistani authorities blamed militants operating from Afghan territory for the weekend attack and lodged a formal protest with the Taliban-led government in Kabul.

The Taliban administration said on Monday it had no immediate response to Pakistan’s allegations.Relations between the two countries have deteriorated sharply in recent months amid escalating accusations over cross-border militancy. In February, Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghanistan targeting what it described as militant safe havens linked to attacks on Pakistani security forces.

The Taliban government has repeatedly denied providing sanctuary to militants and maintains that Pakistan’s security crisis is an internal matter.

Northwestern Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence in militant violence since the collapse of a ceasefire between Islamabad and armed insurgent groups, with attacks increasingly targeting police, military personnel and civilian areas near the Afghan frontier.

Israeli army radio said troops from the Egoz Unit and the reconnaissance company of the Golani Brigade operated near the outskirts of Zawtar al-Sharqiya, roughly 10 kilometers from the Israeli border.

The reported incursion marked one of the deepest publicly acknowledged Israeli ground movements into southern Lebanon since cross-border hostilities intensified earlier this year.

Israeli media said Hezbollah fighters emerged from a tunnel north of the Litani River during one clash, triggering direct fighting with Israeli troops.

Israel confirmed several soldiers were wounded during the operation but did not disclose the number of casualties.

According to Israeli broadcaster Channel 14, the military operations north of the river were intended to prepare routes for possible future movement of armored and infantry units toward areas from which Hezbollah had launched rockets and drones into Israel.

The Israeli military said it had struck more than 100 targets in southern Lebanon over the past week.

The escalation comes despite an April 17 ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon aimed at reducing hostilities following months of fighting between Israeli forces and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement.

Israeli airstrikes and artillery attacks have continued across southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah has maintained cross-border rocket and drone attacks targeting northern Israel.

Lebanese health authorities say more than 2,800 people have been killed since Israel intensified military operations against Hezbollah on March 2 as part of a broader regional offensive.

Israeli forces have also continued issuing evacuation orders for residents living south of the Litani River, urging civilians to move further north.

The Litani River has long held strategic importance in conflicts involving Hezbollah and Israel, particularly under the terms of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701, which sought to limit armed group activity south of the river following the 2006 Lebanon war.