Lebanon's Supreme Defense Council, headed by President Joseph Aoun, submitted a recommendation to the Cabinet warning Hamas against using Lebanese territory to conduct any actions that undermine national security. The council stated that it would take “the strictest necessary measures to put a final end to any act that violates the country’s sovereignty.”

The council also acknowledged that judicial proceedings will begin early next week against those detained in connection with rocket launches on March 22 and 28, 2025, and that all individuals found implicated in the investigations will be prosecuted.

The announcement followed a meeting held at Baabda Palace, chaired by President Joseph Aoun and attended by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and the ministers of finance, defense, economy and trade, foreign affairs, justice, and interior.

Aoun began the session by emphasizing the significance and authority of the Supreme Defense Council, this being its first meeting under his presidency, and addressed the general security situation. He stressed the importance of consolidating stability and reasserting state authority across all Lebanese territory, citing the Taif Accord, his oath of office, and the government’s policy statement.

Aoun firmly stated that Lebanon must not become a platform for destabilization, while reaffirming the central importance of the Palestinian cause and rejecting any attempt to drag Lebanon into what he described as external wars.

Elevated readiness for municipal and local elections

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The Lebanese President also called on relevant ministers to raise readiness levels to ensure smooth municipal and local elections, based on democratic principles and the peaceful transfer of power. He emphasized the importance of transparency, stating that “candidates must compete freely and citizens must vote according to conscience and national duty, without any undue influence,” since municipal work is inherently developmental.

He affirmed his impartiality toward all candidates and stressed that the role of the government and security institutions is strictly to oversee and secure the elections, while public prosecutors are to pursue violations, particularly those related to the electoral law.

Regarding current security events in Syria, Aoun underlined the need to contain any potential spillover into Lebanon, particularly in connection with the Syrian refugee crisis.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam echoed the need to hold the long-overdue elections, Lebanon’s first municipal elections in nine years, and emphasized the neutrality of the government and its institutions. He expressed confidence in the professionalism of the election administration, which he said would enhance the vote’s credibility.

Salam also reiterated the importance of “handing over all illegal weapons,” in line with the Taif Accord and the government's policy statement, and stated that no party, including Hamas, would be allowed to destabilize Lebanon. He stressed that Lebanese territorial integrity is paramount while affirming the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination in accordance with international law and the Arab Peace Initiative.

Security preparations underway

Interior Minister Ahmad Al-Hajjar provided a briefing on the ongoing security and logistical preparations for the elections. Instructions were issued to ensure the elections run smoothly, with emphasis on the neutrality of security agencies and their non-interference in the process.

Also present at the meeting were the public prosecutor, heads of the military and security agencies, the government’s commissioner to the military court, the director general of the presidency, the secretary general of the Supreme Defense Council, and the president’s military and security advisors.

Military and security leaders presented reports on the situation across Lebanon, particularly regarding the recent rocket launches toward the occupied territories. Suspects have been detained, and orders were given to proceed with the appropriate legal action.

The council convened amid a sensitive political and security climate in Lebanon, marked by escalating tensions along the southern border due to Israeli ceasefire violations, pressure surrounding the Syrian refugee crisis, and the country’s preparation for its first municipal elections in nearly a decade.