Lebanon’s southern border has once again become the focus of international concern as President Joseph Aoun reiterated his country’s readiness for negotiations with Israel, but insisted that any talks to halt the ongoing Israeli strikes must be based on mutual willingness—a condition he says is currently unmet. The call for dialogue comes amid a sharp escalation in violence, with Israeli airstrikes intensifying across southern Lebanon despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire that has nominally been in place for nearly a year.
Speaking in Beirut on October 31, 2025, after a meeting with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, President Aoun was unequivocal: “Lebanon is ready for negotiations to end the Israeli occupation, but any talks cannot be one-sided — they require mutual will, which is still lacking. The format, timing and location of negotiations will be determined later.” According to the Associated Press, his remarks underscored a growing frustration in Lebanon over what officials describe as Israel’s disregard for both the ceasefire and Lebanon’s sovereignty.
German Foreign Minister Wadephul’s visit to Beirut was part of a four-day Middle East tour—his first official trip since assuming office. His presence highlighted the mounting international anxiety over the continued violence. After meeting with Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji, Wadephul did not mince words: the ongoing Israeli attacks on Lebanese territory were “unacceptable,” and he stressed the need for both Israel and Hezbollah to adhere to the cessation of hostilities arrangements. “Israel must respect Lebanon’s sovereignty,” Wadephul emphasized, as reported by the AP.
The roots of the current crisis stretch back to the aftermath of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, which triggered a new war in Gaza. In solidarity with Hamas and the Palestinians, Hezbollah began launching rockets into northern Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes and artillery shelling in return. This tit-for-tat violence escalated into a full-scale war between Israel and Hezbollah by September 2024, according to the Associated Press and corroborated by multiple international sources.
A ceasefire, brokered by the United States in November 2024, was supposed to put an end to hostilities. Under its terms, both Israel and Hezbollah were to cease attacks, while the Lebanese army and the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) would deploy south of the Litani River to ensure that no armed groups except the Lebanese army operated in the region. However, as both Lebanese and international officials have pointed out, the ceasefire has been repeatedly violated.
Since the truce, Israel has carried out near-daily strikes across southern Lebanon, claiming to target Hezbollah militants, weapons depots, and command centers. Lebanese officials, however, accuse Israel of striking civilian areas and destroying infrastructure unrelated to Hezbollah. The United Nations human rights office reports that at least 108 civilians—including 21 women and 16 children—have been killed in these attacks since November 2024.
The violence has not been one-sided. On October 31, 2025, an Israeli drone targeted a man riding a motorbike in the southern Lebanese village of Kunin, killing one person and wounding another, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The previous day, Israeli soldiers conducted a rare ground raid in the border village of Blida, where they stormed a municipal building and killed Ibrahim Salameh, a municipal employee who was reportedly sleeping inside at the time. Israeli authorities claimed their troops entered the building to “destroy terrorist infrastructure” linked to Hezbollah and fired to “neutralize a threat.” President Aoun, however, insisted Salameh was killed “while performing his professional duties.”
The Blida raid sparked outrage among Lebanese officials and ignited protests by local residents. President Aoun responded by instructing the Lebanese army to “confront any Israeli incursion” into southern Lebanon “in defense of Lebanese lands and the safety of citizens.” The president’s order was met with strong approval from Hezbollah’s Secretary-General Naim Kassem, who, in a recorded address, declared: “The President’s stance in ordering the army to confront Israeli incursions is a responsible position upon which we build. The positions of the three presidents and some officials are consequential, and our stance is unified.”
Hezbollah’s leadership has repeatedly criticized Israel for what it sees as flagrant violations of the ceasefire agreement. Naim Qassem, speaking on October 31, accused the United States of failing as an impartial mediator due to its extensive support for Israel. “We must create all the conditions and exert all the necessary pressure so that Israel respects its commitments,” Qassem said, as reported by The National. He further accused Israel of refusing to withdraw its troops from Lebanese territory, while insisting that Lebanon and Hezbollah have abided by their own obligations—including Hezbollah’s withdrawal of fighters from areas south of the Litani River and cessation of attacks on Israel.
President Aoun has also announced that the Lebanese army’s presence in southern Lebanon will be increased to 10,000 troops before the end of the year, in coordination with UNIFIL. The army, already deployed at dozens of positions across the region, works alongside U.N. peacekeepers to monitor ceasefire violations and maintain a fragile calm, though that calm is increasingly punctuated by violence.
Meanwhile, the U.S.-led multinational mechanism designed to monitor the ceasefire has struggled to enforce compliance. Hezbollah’s Naim Qassem, reflecting a widely held sentiment in Lebanon, has dismissed the U.S. as a neutral broker, arguing that Washington’s support for Israel undermines its credibility. He has also warned against Israeli ambitions, stating that Israel’s actions are part of “their effort towards the creation of Greater Israel … which we will not accept.”
Lebanese officials have continued to call for Israel to withdraw from all Lebanese territory and to halt attacks on civilian areas. They maintain that Lebanon remains committed to its side of the ceasefire, but insist that meaningful negotiations can only occur if Israel demonstrates genuine willingness to engage in dialogue and respect Lebanon’s sovereignty.
The international community, for its part, appears increasingly concerned. Germany’s Foreign Minister Wadephul’s statements in Beirut echoed a broader European unease over the risk of a wider conflagration. The United Nations, too, has repeatedly condemned attacks on civilians and called for all parties to uphold their obligations under international law.
As the year draws to a close, the prospect of peace remains elusive. The cycle of violence, accusations, and failed ceasefires has left residents of southern Lebanon in a state of perpetual uncertainty. For now, President Aoun’s call for mutual talks stands as both a plea and a challenge—one that will require more than words to resolve if the region is to move beyond the shadow of war.
