Shafaq News- Beirut

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun called on Thursday for an end to Israeli attacks and a ceasefire to allow discussions on the next steps under an initiative he previously proposed.

According to a statement from the Lebanese presidency, Aoun warned during a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that continued “Israeli aggressions” could affect the stability of the whole region.

Aoun said he had expressed readiness to negotiate with Israel but had not received any response from the other side, stressing the importance of “international support for Lebanon during this critical period.” The president highlighted the need to address the situation of displaced people, noting that their number has reached nearly 800,000.

Guterres expressed full solidarity with the Lebanese people and renewed his call for both Hezbollah and Israel to cease fire and end the war, the statement added.

He also stressed the need to pave the way for a solution that would allow Lebanon to function as an independent state with full sovereignty over its territory, where the authority has the exclusive right to enforce security. “Now is no longer the time for armed groups; it is the time for a strong state,” Guterres said. 

الرئيس جوزاف عون خلال استقباله الأمين العام للأمم المتحدة أنطونيو غوتيريش:- يجب وقف الاعتداءات الاسرائيلية وتحقيق وقف إطلاق النار للبحث في الخطوات التالية وفق المبادرة التي أطلقتها. - للاهتمام بشؤون النازحين الذين قارب عددهم اكثر من 800 الف نسمة، ونقدّر وقوف الأمم المتحدة إلى… pic.twitter.com/H7zfQkh0rS

— Lebanese Presidency (@LBpresidency) March 13, 2026

Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that Lebanon’s national infrastructure could face further attacks if Hezbollah continues using state facilities. The Israeli army announced that it carried out dozens of airstrikes targeting what it described as Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut, the Beqaa, and southern Lebanon.