During a private audience at the Vatican lasting over half an hour, J. Aoun urged the pontiff to support Beirut’s efforts to ensure the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon as stipulated in the agreement, the Lebanese presidency reported.
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“The Holy See welcomes the signing of this document but expressed serious concern about the difficulties encountered in its implementation and promised to support the efforts made for this purpose,” the Vatican statement said.
Lebanon and Israel began direct negotiations supported by the US after the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah involved Lebanon in the Middle East war in March by attacking Israel.
Israel responded with air strikes and a ground invasion.
The overall agreement reached in June provided for the disarmament of Hezbollah, the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the deployment of the Lebanese army in the region, starting with so-called pilot zones.
However, Israel continues to occasionally strike and carry out demolition operations in southern Lebanon.
Israeli forces operate in a roughly 10 km wide strip inside Lebanese territory beyond the de facto land border between the two states.
According to the Lebanese presidency, J. Aoun urged the head of the Catholic Church to “support Lebanon’s efforts to achieve the full withdrawal of Israel from the occupied Lebanese territories, thus enabling the restoration of what Israel has destroyed.”
He also called on the pope and Vatican officials to “continue diplomatic efforts” to ensure that Israel implements the terms of the agreement and stops attacks against civilians, infrastructure, and villages, the statement said.
This was J. Aoun’s second private audience at the Vatican.
The leader of 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, born in Chicago, visited Lebanon at the end of last year and repeatedly called for reducing tensions in the Middle East and seeking a diplomatic solution.
On Friday, J. Aoun is expected to meet with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
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The last two rounds of Israel-Lebanon negotiations took place in Rome.
