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Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned Israel's attacks, urged friendly states to intervene to stop what he described as Israel’s “madness,” and said negotiation is not a concession and diplomacy is not surrender.
Aoun made the remarks to reporters at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerke, north of Beirut, on the occasion of Easter, where he addressed the continuing Israeli attacks, the humanitarian situation and Lebanon's diplomatic efforts.
Acknowledging Israel's attacks were targeting civilians and innocent people, he said the assaults violated international law and the Geneva Conventions provisions aimed at protecting civilians.
Aoun stated that Lebanon is urging friendly countries to step in and stop the attacks. "We ask friendly countries to intervene and we continue our contacts to stop this madness carried out by Israel," he said.
Addressing residents in southern Lebanon, Aoun assured them, "We have not forgotten you, and we continue our contacts to ease your suffering."
He pledged that Lebanon would not abandon its efforts, stating, "We will not give up our efforts to stop the deaths, the destruction and the wounds."
Emphasizing the importance of diplomacy, Aoun said, "Negotiation with Israel is not a concession, diplomacy is not surrender."
He noted that "some wanted to drag Lebanon into wars that do not concern it and tie the country to the fate of the region," stressing that preserving social peace is vital.
He cautioned that a civil war would be more dangerous than the Israeli attacks and reacted sharply to those criticizing the Lebanese army.
Aoun reported that Israeli attacks have killed more than 1,400 people in Lebanon, wounded over 4,000, and displaced more than 1.2 million.
Drawing attention to the issue of displaced civilians, he said shelter must be provided and basic living conditions ensured for those affected.
He thanked countries sending humanitarian aid, international organizations, the government, and the Red Cross, civil defense, security forces and the army working on the ground.
Aoun offered condolences to the families of those killed in the attacks and wished the wounded a speedy recovery.
He also conveyed his sympathies to the Indonesian government and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) over the deaths of Indonesian soldiers serving within the contingent.
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