President Joseph Aoun on Monday reiterated Lebanon’s commitment to disarming Hezbollah and enacting long-overdue reforms, describing them as both national and international priorities during a series of high-level meetings at the presidential palace.

“We are committed to working toward both goals,” Aoun said during talks with a visiting delegation from the American Task Force for Lebanon (ATFL), headed by former American diplomat, Edward Gabriel. “Rebuilding trust is a process we have already begun.”

The President pointed out that he had signed a decree sending a bill to Parliament to amend the banking secrecy law, and said the government has already begun discussions to restructure Lebanon’s crisis-hit banking sector. Talks began Friday and are scheduled to continue on Tuesday, he noted. 

During his meeting with the ATFL delegation, Aoun welcomed U.S. support and said that reforms and the disarmament of Hezbollah are “Lebanese demands as much as they are American and international demands.”

Aoun also met with Speaker of Parliament Nabih Berri, with whom he discussed the general situation in the country, notably developments in southern Lebanon, and the outcome of U.S. Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus’s recent visit.

Asked about the process of disarming Hezbollah, Aoun emphasized the need for dialogue.

“As I said in my inaugural speech, there is no place for any weapons or armed groups outside the framework of the State,” he said. “These matters must be resolved through communication and dialogue. At the end of the day, Hezbollah is a Lebanese component.”

The President said Lebanon would soon begin work on a national security strategy, from which a broader defense strategy would be derived.

“The Lebanese position is unified. We are all committed to the same goal,” he said. “Sometimes we disagree — and that’s the essence of democracy. We must discuss, debate, and engage. In the end, we share a common objective.”

On security, Aoun reaffirmed Lebanon’s full commitment to United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 and commended the performance of the UN peacekeeping mission, UNIFIL, in southern Lebanon.

“The will to defuse tensions is there, and UNIFIL is doing an excellent job,” he said. “But the force carries a heavy burden. Lebanon needs both time and space to resolve issues calmly.”

The President pointed to repeated Israeli violations of the ceasefire agreement and urged the United States to pressure Israel to withdraw from five occupied positions along the border.

“Their continued presence complicates the situation further and serves no benefit to Lebanon,” he warned.

Aoun also revealed that the government had recently approved the recruitment of 4,500 new soldiers to bolster Lebanese Army readiness in the south.

Addressing security concerns north of the Litani River, Aoun said authorities had dismantled six armed encampments that had been under the control of Palestinian factions operating outside official refugee camps.

“These areas are now clear. Weapons have been confiscated or destroyed,” he said.

For his part, Gabriel, who previously served as the U.S. Ambassador to Morocco, delivered a clear message from Washington.

“We are here to underline the need for swift reforms and the disarmament of Hezbollah in order for Lebanon to receive the financial assistance it desperately needs,” he said.

“There has been significant praise for the work of the Lebanese Armed Forces, and for your own role in supporting that effort,” Gabriel told Aoun. “There is still much to be done, but the faster you move, the faster we can support you.”

Gabriel also disclosed that a funding bill is being prepared in the U.S. Congress for the upcoming fiscal year, alongside three major pieces of legislation tied to a broader economic support package for Lebanon.