President Joseph Aoun met Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican and asked for papal pressure on Israel to honour a ceasefire agreement and quit Lebanese territory.
President Joseph Aoun held talks with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Thursday, seeking the pontiff's intervention to enforce a U.S.-brokered ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel. Aoun thanked the Pope for his support of Lebanon's position and pressed him to compel Israel to commit to the framework agreement, stop daily military strikes, and withdraw from Lebanese territory in the south.
The President urged the Vatican to use its diplomatic influence to pressure Israel into compliance with the agreement's terms. He framed the ceasefire as essential to Lebanon's security and territorial integrity.
The Vatican issued a statement acknowledging the agreement's signing but flagging obstacles to its implementation. The Holy See expressed what it described as serious concerns about difficulties encountered as the deal moves from signature to enforcement, and pledged to support efforts to overcome those obstacles.
The statement did not specify which party the Vatican believed was creating the implementation problems. It offered no details about what those difficulties entailed or what support the Vatican might provide beyond diplomatic backing.
Aoun's visit came as Israel has maintained a military presence in southern Lebanon despite the ceasefire agreement. The President's appeal to the Pope represented one of several international diplomatic moves to pressure Israel into honouring the accord's withdrawal provisions.
The framework agreement, brokered by the United States, established terms for a ceasefire after months of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The accord nominally commits Israel to withdraw its forces from southern Lebanese territory over a defined period.
The Vatican's guarded language in its statement, while welcoming the agreement in principle, reflected the Holy See's position as a neutral diplomatic actor. The Pope did not issue a public statement directly endorsing Aoun's specific demands.
Implementation of the ceasefire remains contingent on both parties adhering to the agreement's terms. Israeli military operations in Lebanese territory have continued since the accord was signed, complicating efforts to establish a stable ceasefire on the ground.
What happens next depends on whether Israel accelerates its withdrawal and whether the United States intensifies pressure on Israel to comply. The Vatican's stated readiness to support implementation efforts suggests the church may make additional diplomatic moves to encourage both parties to fulfil their obligations under the framework agreement.
