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President Aoun, speaking on Friday, reiterated Lebanon’s adherence to the ceasefire deal brokered by the United States and France at the end of 2024, stressing that, in contrast, Israel has escalated its aggressions and continues to occupy the five disputed hills.

According to Anadolu, as cited by Entekhab, the Lebanese Presidency said in a statement: “Israel was expected to completely and permanently withdraw from southern Lebanon within 60 days of the agreement’s implementation, yet it continues to occupy the five hills.”

The ceasefire ended a conflict that began with an Israeli offensive against Lebanon in October 2023 and escalated into a full-scale war by September 2024, resulting in more than 4,000 deaths and around 17,000 injuries.

During the war, Israel seized five hills in southern Lebanon. Under the terms of the agreement, Israel was obligated to withdraw from these areas 60 days after the deal took effect. However, it has failed to comply and continues to hold additional Lebanese territories that have been under its occupation for years.

President Aoun added that Israel “has doubled its aggressions while issuing daily threats against the Lebanese people.”

In the latest wave of attacks, the Israeli army launched a series of airstrikes on several towns and villages in southern Lebanon on Thursday. The attacks followed evacuation orders for certain areas — the broadest warning issued since the ceasefire was enacted — amid escalating border tensions in recent weeks.

In response, President Aoun released a statement late Thursday condemning the strikes as a “fully-fledged crime,” saying that each time Lebanon “expresses readiness for dialogue,” Israel intensifies its violations of Lebanese sovereignty.