Joint Statement: President Aoun’s Visit to Washington Presents an Opportunity for Stronger U.S.-Lebanon Policy

Lebanon Joint Statement: President Aoun’s Visit to Washington Presents an Opportunity for Stronger U.S.-Lebanon Policy TIMEP joins partners to urge President Trump and U.S. policymakers to take advantage of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s upcoming visit to Washington, D.C. to take steps to press for security and sovereignty in Lebanon. TIMEP July 16, 2026 July 16, 2026 We, the undersigned civil society organizations, urge President Trump and U.S. policymakers to take advantage of Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s upcoming visit to Washington, D.C. to take steps to press for security and sovereignty in Lebanon. Doing so is critical, not only for the security of Lebanon and its neighbors, but for U.S. national security interests, as well. On March 2, 2026, Hezbollah launched an attack on Israel amidst ongoing Israeli violations of the 2024 U.S.-brokered ceasefire. Israel has since responded by launching a devastating war on Lebanon, killing at least 4,322 people and wounding an additional 12,210. Last month, President Trump criticized Israel’s disproportionate use of force in Lebanon that has claimed the lives of large numbers of civilians. Throughout the war, Israeli attacks have targeted and killed Lebanese civilians, including at least 132 healthcare workers and 247 children, and destroyed civilian infrastructure in Lebanon, including through airstrikes and mass demolitions which have leveled entire Lebanese villages. Under the pretext of the war, Israel has also invaded Lebanon and occupied Lebanese territory, establishing a so-called “Yellow Line” and “combat zones” across south Lebanon in violation of Lebanese sovereignty. Both the war and Israel’s ongoing occupation have displaced more than 1 million people from their homes, triggering a humanitarian crisis while deepening social tensions and the risk of civil strife. Despite successive U.S.-brokered cessations of hostilities and ceasefires, Israel continues to launch attacks in south Lebanon and occupy sovereign Lebanese territory. President Aoun’s visit to Washington follows successive rounds of direct U.S.-brokered talks between Lebanon and Israel which have resulted in a Trilateral Framework Agreement signed by the governments of Lebanon, Israel, and the United States, on June 26, 2026. Lebanese, regional, and international organizations from across the political spectrum have raised significant concerns about how this new agreement undermines Lebanese sovereignty, fails to require an Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanon, risks further conflict, and jeopardizes pathways to accountability for victims of war crimes. The current agreement significantly weakens the Lebanese government’s domestic credibility at a time when they need strong public backing to succeed in their historic efforts to disarm Hezbollah and strengthen the Lebanese state. President Aoun’s visit to Washington presents a unique opportunity to take the necessary steps to commit to a strategic U.S.-Lebanon policy that centers sovereignty and security. In doing so, the United States can address key concerns around the agreement and take clear and concrete steps to empower the Lebanese government to advance shared strategic goals. First, the United States must guarantee an immediate Israeli military withdrawal from Lebanon and an immediate end to all Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty. This backs the Lebanese government in showing that it is able to guarantee Lebanese security through diplomacy. Second, the United States must commit the necessary resources to the Lebanese Armed Forces so that it has the capacity to secure Lebanon, disarm Hezbollah, and establish a monopoly on the use of arms in Lebanon. Finally, the United States should commit additional funding to address the urgent humanitarian crisis in Lebanon and kickstart the process of reconstruction in order to enable the Lebanese state, rather than non-state actors, to rebuild the country and demonstrate to its citizens that it can be the sole provider of services. In taking the above steps and investing in the Lebanese government, President Trump and U.S. policymakers can strengthen their efforts to secure a durable end to hostilities between Israel and Lebanon. Signatories: Action Research Associates American Committee for Middle East Rights (ACMER) Arab American Institute Baalbek-Hermel Union of Associations Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) Cedar Centre for Legal Studies Center for International Policy Former Lebanese Political Detainees in Syria (FLPD) Hayya Bina HuMENA For Human Rights and Civic Engagement Lokman Slim Foundation Mada Network MENA Prison Forum Social Communication Center/Ajial The Alternative Policy Institute (BADIL) The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP) UMAM Documentation & Research