Lebanese president says no new negotiations with Israel currently

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Saturday that there would be no new negotiations with Israel at present, reaffirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces, the return of detainees and displaced people, and reconstruction as national constants that the state is committed to pursuing, reported Xinhua.

Aoun made the remarks during a surprise visit to the southern city of Nabatieh and the nearby town of Zawtar al-Gharbiyah, according to Lebanon's National News Agency. "We came here with the security chiefs to affirm our support for you.

The South is at the heart of the state and the heart of Lebanon," Aoun said, expressing hope that the wounds of southern Lebanon would finally be healed. He said residents of southern Lebanon had the right to live in safety and rebuild their homes without fearing that they would again be destroyed.

Aoun stressed that Israel's withdrawal, the return of detainees and displaced people, and reconstruction constituted national constants that the Lebanese state was committed to working to implement. His remarks came amid continued tensions along the Lebanese-Israeli border despite a framework agreement signed between Lebanon and Israel in late June. Israel says its operations are aimed at eliminating Hezbollah threats