Aoun: Lebanon not to normalize with "Israel", even in sharing oil, gas

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Lebanese President Michel Aoun warned on Saturday that "Israel" is out to steal Lebanon's water, gas and oil riches.

In an interview with the Qatar News Agency, Aoun found it unlikely that "Israel" would launch an attack on Lebanon, and said that it would not seek such an "adventure" at the moment because it would pay too great a price.

Lebanon's President said the last few years have proven that stability at the border is something all sides are after, adding that Lebanon has never been on the offensive and has always acted in self-defense.

As for the possibility of reaching an agreement with "Israel" on the demarcation of maritime borders, Aoun said that negotiations mean reaching a solution that satisfies both sides, or else they are doomed to fail.

He revealed that Lebanon will not surrender its right to oil and gas and will not normalize with "Israel" even by sharing oil and gas fields, adding that negotiations will remain to take place indirectly, even if they are currently on hold because of the need to study available options, but this doesn't mean that the negotiations are over.

Lebanon's defense strategy

Regarding the question of Lebanon applying a united defense strategy, Aoun said that treating an issue of this size requires a complete agreement by all sides because the matter is one that concerns everyone.

He clarified that global and regional developments cannot be ignored when discussing the defense strategy, which is why he had called for a comprehensive national dialogue to look into the matter after discussing the more pressing matters of the economic and financial crises, but although some responded positively to the call, others ignored it.

The Lebanese President also warned of the negative impact that intra-Arab feuds have on all Arab countries and peoples, stressing that his country is keen on holding the best of relations with Arab countries in general and Gulf countries in particular.