BEIRUT, March 31 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Tuesday that Israel has refused to respond to Lebanese, Arab, and international calls to halt military operations and begin negotiations.
Aoun said the war "will not lead to any practical result but will only increase the suffering of the Lebanese people," stressing that negotiations are the only solution that can restore security and stability to the region, according to a statement by Lebanon's Presidency.
He made the remarks during a meeting with visiting French Minister Delegate for the Armed Forces Alice Rufo, adding that Lebanon supports the efforts of French President Emmanuel Macron to help reach a ceasefire and launch negotiations.
Rufo reaffirmed France's support for Lebanon, as well as its support for the positions announced by the Lebanese president, particularly the negotiation initiative and the decisions taken by the Lebanese government.
During separate talks, Aoun met with United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, who expressed full solidarity with Lebanon and reaffirmed the United Nations' commitment to continuing humanitarian support amid the country's difficult circumstances and growing needs.
Aoun outlined the security and humanitarian challenges resulting from the escalation, particularly the displacement crisis and pressure on infrastructure and basic services.
Israel on Tuesday resumed airstrikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, targeting the Bir al-Abed area and a building in Ghobeiri in the Dahieh, while intensive drone flights were reported over Beirut and its suburbs at low altitude, according to Lebanon's National News Agency.
An Israeli airstrike on the town of Srifa in the Tyre district killed two people and wounded three others, the agency said.
Lebanon's Public Health Ministry said in its daily report that the total number of people killed since March 2 has risen to 1,268, while the number of injured has reached 3,750.
Cross-border fighting has continued along the Lebanon-Israel border since March 2, when Hezbollah launched rockets toward Israel for the first time since a ceasefire agreed on Nov. 27, 2024, triggering intensified Israeli airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon. ■
