BERUIT\/ISTANBUL<\/p>\n
Lebanon has no choice but to negotiate with Israel, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said Monday, amid ongoing tensions along the border and repeated Israeli airstrikes on the country.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are three tools of politics: diplomacy, economy, and war. When war fails to bring results, negotiation remains the only path,\u201d Aoun said during a meeting with Lebanese figures at the presidential palace east of Beirut.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe end of every war in the world has been negotiation, and negotiations are held not with friends, but with adversaries,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe language of dialogue is more important than the language of war, which only brings destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n
Aoun reiterated Lebanon\u2019s readiness to enter talks aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and restoring its territories, emphasizing that diplomacy, not escalation, is the way forward.<\/p>\n
US envoy Thomas Barrack is currently leading indirect mediation efforts between Lebanon and Israel, following months of cross-border violence.<\/p>\n
Aoun also revealed progress in Lebanon\u2019s relations with neighboring Syria, citing \u201cserious intentions\u201d to form joint committees to address border demarcation and the return of Syrian refugees.<\/p>\n
On the domestic front, Aoun said his government, formed in February, is implementing major reforms, citing positive economic indicators and predicting growth of around 5% by the end of the year.<\/p>\n
He stressed that Lebanon has \u201cgreat opportunities for recovery\u201d if it moves beyond sectarian divisions and unites to serve national interests.<\/p>\n