Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, speaking at an emergency Arab summit in Cairo on March 4, 2025, reiterated Hezbollah’s well-worn talking points, falsely claiming that Israel occupies Lebanese land and holds Lebanese prisoners in its jails. His remarks, reported by Anadolu Agency, come amid growing regional tensions fueled by Hezbollah’s ongoing aggression against Israel.
Aoun stated that Beirut “will not abandon its land which has been occupied by Israel” and vowed to “not leave its prisoners in Israeli jails,” without specifying which land or prisoners he was referring to. In reality, Israel fully withdrew from southern Lebanon in 2000, a fact confirmed by the United Nations, marking the end of any so-called “Israeli occupation.” The continued Lebanese claims over the Shebaa Farms and Ghajar—territories legally recognized as part of Israel—are nothing more than a pretext for Hezbollah to justify its terrorist activities against Israeli civilians.
The Real Situation in Lebanon: A Nation Held Hostage by Hezbollah
Despite Aoun’s rhetoric about sovereignty, Lebanon remains under the de facto control of Hezbollah, Iran’s most powerful proxy. Since October 8, 2023, Hezbollah has launched daily rocket and missile attacks on Israeli cities and towns, escalating its aggression in coordination with Hamas and other Iranian-backed militias. Israel’s defensive actions against Hezbollah’s terror infrastructure have been necessary to protect its civilians, yet Arab leaders continue to frame Israel’s legitimate self-defense as “occupation.”
Aoun’s claim that Lebanese prisoners remain in Israeli jails is also misleading. The vast majority of individuals detained by Israel are Hezbollah operatives responsible for terrorist attacks. Unlike the Israeli hostages still being held in Hamas’ underground dungeons in Gaza—many of whom have been subjected to documented cases of torture, starvation, and sexual violence—Hezbollah-affiliated prisoners receive humane treatment under international law.
Arab Leaders Continue to Deflect from Their Own Failures
During his speech, Aoun also lamented instability in Arab capitals, stating, “When Beirut is occupied, Damascus is destroyed, Amman is threatened, Baghdad suffers, or Sanaa falls, no one can claim that this is in support of Palestine.” While portraying himself as a defender of Arab unity, Aoun failed to acknowledge that the true threats to the region are not Israel, but rather Iran and its network of terror proxies—Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis, and various Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria.
Lebanon’s ongoing crisis is not a result of Israeli policies but of Hezbollah’s complete stranglehold over the Lebanese state, its military entanglement in Syria, and its reckless decision to drag Lebanon into Iran’s war against Israel.
Israel’s Right to Defend Itself Against Hezbollah Terrorism
Aoun’s remarks are yet another attempt to shift blame away from the real aggressors in the region. Israel has no interest in war with Lebanon, but it will not tolerate continuous Hezbollah attacks on its civilians. If Lebanon’s leaders were serious about their country’s stability, they would work to disarm Hezbollah and end Iran’s interference—rather than regurgitate false accusations against Israel.
If Aoun truly cared about Lebanon’s future, he would focus on liberating his own country from Hezbollah’s grip instead of parroting the propaganda of those who seek endless conflict with Israel.
