BEIRUT, April 29 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said on Wednesday that a ceasefire must be fully implemented before negotiations with Israel begin.
"Israel must finally realize that the only path to security is through negotiations, but it must first fully implement the ceasefire before moving to talks," he said in a meeting with representatives of economic entities.
Aoun said that Israel's border attacks would not secure the region, adding that the only way to protect the border was through a strong Lebanese state fully present across southern Lebanon up to the international frontier.
He said Lebanon was awaiting the United States to set a date for the start of negotiations, noting that European Union states and Arab countries had backed Beirut's diplomatic approach.
The remarks follow a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon that took effect at midnight between April 16 and 17, following weeks of intensified cross-border fighting linked to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.
Lebanon's Public Health Emergency Operations Center said in a statement that the cumulative overall toll of the Israeli attacks from March 2 through April 29 has reached 2,576 killed and 7,962 wounded. ■
