Aoun says state 'obligated' to assist 'our people' displaced by war

President Joseph Aoun said he is incessantly urging the international community to pressure Israel to halt its attacks on Lebanon, and that Lebanon's priority is the return of the residents to their border villages and the release of detainees from Israeli prisons.

"Lebanon cannot be safe without the safety of its South," Aoun told Friday a delegation of the citizens displaced by war. "You are our people, and the state is obligated to assist you."

Aoun vowed that he will discuss reconstruction aid and compensation with Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Finance Minister Yassine Jaber. "I agree with the Speaker and the Prime Minister on the necessity of alleviating your suffering; this is our national duty," he said.