Lebanon's president says he would not hesitate to do the 'impossible' to end war with Israel

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[The Financial News] Joseph Aoun, Lebanon's president, said on the 18th (local time) that he would do even the "impossible" if necessary to stop the war, expressing a strong commitment to peace after ceasefire talks with Israel and direct dialogue collapsed and the fighting intensified.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) noted that Aoun's remarks came amid a tense situation in which the Israeli military carried out large-scale airstrikes across southern Lebanon, while Hezbollah, the Iran-backed armed group, said it had struck military targets in northern Israel.
Despite a ceasefire that took effect on April 17, Israel has continued airstrikes, demolition of buildings, and evacuation orders in southern Lebanon, saying it is targeting Hezbollah. Hezbollah has also continued military operations against Israeli forces that entered southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
In his statement, Aoun said, "The basic framework for negotiations set by the Lebanese government is the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces, a complete ceasefire, the deployment of the Lebanese regular army to the border area, the safe return of displaced residents, and economic support."
He added, "In line with the office of the president and the responsibility entrusted to me, I will do even the impossible to stop the war against Lebanon and the Lebanese people, and I will choose the path with the lowest cost."
After the third round of talks between Lebanese and Israeli delegations was held in Washington, D.C. last week, the ceasefire period was extended by 45 days. Hezbollah has strongly opposed the talks themselves, and the extension has still failed to stop the violence on the battlefield.
Hezbollah said on the 18th that it launched a suicide drone at a military base in northern Israel. The group said the target was an Iron Dome battery, an air defense system stationed at an Israeli military site in the north, and claimed that "the attack was a legitimate retaliatory measure for Israel's repeated violations of the ceasefire."
Lebanon's National News Agency (NNA) reported that Israeli airstrikes continued across southern Lebanon. In addition to the strikes, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for residents in three villages in southern Lebanon.
According to Lebanon's health authorities, more than 2,900 people have been killed across the country since the war began. More than 400 of them died after the ceasefire took effect on April 17, deepening international concern over civilian casualties.
jjyoon@fnnews.com Yoon Jae-joon Reporter