BEIRUT: Lebanon’s president, Joseph Aoun, on Friday reaffirmed that responsibility for the protection of southern Lebanon rests solely with the Lebanese army.

He was speaking during a visit to Benoit Barakat Barracks in Tyre, the army’s headquarters in the Southern Litani Sector, the night before Lebanon’s Independence Day, and just hours before a televised speech to the nation.

“The army, which protects southerners as well as all Lebanese, remains steadfast in its positions and commitment to defending national dignity, sovereignty and independence,” he said during the visit.

Aoun commended the army’s role south of the Litani River in implementing the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon, and honored “the memory of the 12 martyred soldiers who have been killed since the implementation of the security plan to establish a state monopoly over weapons.”

He stressed that the army was “undeterred by the smear campaigns, doubts and incitement to which it is sometimes subjected.”

The visit followed a diplomatic setback this week when the Trump administration in Washington canceled scheduled meetings in the US with the army commander, Gen. Rudolph Haikal, following criticism by several members of Congress of the Lebanese army’s performance so far in its efforts to confront Hezbollah.

Aoun, accompanied by Haikal, met Brig. Gen. Nicolas Tabet, the sector commander, and other senior officers at the barracks.

The president was given a comprehensive briefing on the security situation in the south of the country, where army operations continue. He reviewed maps and images showing areas in which Israeli forces have crossed the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel during construction of a wall that extends beyond internationally recognized borders, violations that have been documented and reported by the UN Interim Force in Lebanon.

Col. Rashad Bou Karroum, the head of operations in the Southern Litani Sector, provided an overview of the army’s progress in the region, including deployments at permanent and temporary checkpoints, newly established border positions, and ongoing patrols designed to maintain security and stability.

Tabet briefed Aoun on “discussions held during the most recent meeting of the Mechanism Committee” that monitors the truce between Israel and Lebanon, and reiterated “Lebanon’s firm position in defending the rights of the Lebanese state and its sovereignty over its territory,” the president’s office said.

Later, during his televised address to the nation, Aoun launched a new initiative designed to provide a permanent solution to the situation in southern Lebanon.

“The state is ready to immediately present the five-member ceasefire-monitoring committee with a clear and specific timetable for the Lebanese army to take control of positions currently occupied by Israel, either gradually or all at once,” he said.

“This committee will ensure that the Lebanese armed forces alone assume responsibility for these points. The state pledges that it will retain sole responsibility for border security and the protection of all Lebanese territory.”

Aoun also emphasized that Lebanon was ready to negotiate with Israel under the auspices of the UN, the US, or other joint international mediation.

“The Lebanese state is prepared to engage in agreements that establish a framework for a final cessation of cross-border attacks,” he said.

He called on Lebanon’s regional allies to oversee the process, set clear deadlines and support the efforts of the Lebanese army, while helping to rebuild destroyed infrastructure.

“This will accelerate the achievement of our national goal: ensuring all weapons outside state control are permanently neutralized throughout Lebanon,” he added.

The president stressed that is important Lebanon takes an active role in shaping its own future.

“Because we are a people committed to peace, and because our region is entering a phase of stability, we are ready to engage fully, expanding previous agreements or establishing new ones,” Aoun said.

“We will not allow our country to become a bargaining chip or marginalized in regional affairs. From Beirut to our international borders, Lebanon will act independently, guided solely by national interests. This includes securing the full withdrawal of Israel from Lebanese territory, ensuring the return of prisoners, and finalizing border arrangements for lasting stability.

“Beyond our borders, we will act in line with the unified Arab position. Recent discussions in Washington between US President Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman are encouraging steps in this process. Lebanon will follow this path unwaveringly.”

Aoun touted his initiative as a message “to the world, to every friend and sincere supporter of Lebanon, committing to the establishment of security and stability along our borders and across the region. We are prepared and determined to see it through.”

Turning to supporters of Hezbollah, Aoun said: “We are navigating a critical moment akin to the early periods of our independence, amid seismic regional shifts and changing balances of power. Some skeptics believe nothing has changed; this is denial or stubbornness, attempting to justify distortions of the state’s sovereignty.

“Others may feel entire communities in Lebanon have vanished; this is equally misguided. The reality is Lebanon must reaffirm its independence.”

He continued: “Times have changed. Lebanon is weary of statelessness. The Lebanese have lost faith in mini-state projects, and the world’s patience is thin. The state must now ensure that all citizens are loyal to their homeland, respecting constitutional and legal authority.

“Public rights, property, funds and spaces cannot be encroached upon under any pretext, whether by power, politics or historical claims.”

Haikal, the army commander, delivered his own Independence Day message to the military, stating: “Today, Lebanon is going through one of the most critical periods in its history, in light of the continued Israeli occupation of part of its territory and the attacks that have caused fatalities and injuries, hindered the completion of the army’s deployment, and resulted in the destruction of property.”

Despite limited resources and the ongoing economic crisis in the country, he stressed that “the military institution has made significant efforts since the ceasefire agreement came into effect to reinforce its deployment south of the Litani River and to extend state authority,” in line with the decisions of the Lebanese government and the provisions of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, while working in coordination with UNIFIL and the Mechanism Committee.

Resolution 1701 was adopted by the Security Council in 2006 with the aim of resolving the conflict that year between Israel and Hezbollah.

The army, having “made immense sacrifices to uphold Lebanon’s right to sovereignty over every inch of its land, continues to support the return of displaced persons to their villages in the southern region,” Haikal added.

“Trust in the military institution and internal unity are vital to overcome this difficult period,” he said as he called for more resources and improved conditions for military personnel. He stressed that “exceptional circumstances require wisdom, professionalism and firmness, away from any political considerations.”

Haikal reiterated that the army will continue its multifaceted mission to combat terrorism, counter drug trafficking, control borders, prevent smuggling and pursue those who violate security, and will do so in coordination with Syrian authorities while also strengthening its own military capabilities through cooperation with allies and friendly nations.

Hezbollah, in its own statement for Independence Day, called for “all possible and immediate efforts to compel the Israeli enemy to implement the ceasefire agreement and Resolution 1701.”

It urged “guarantor states to pressure it (Israel) to cease its attacks, which continue to target civilians, to end the Israeli occupation, and to prevent its expansion and threat to Lebanon’s security and sovereignty.”