Lebanese President Joseph Aoun pressed Washington on Saturday to push Israel to withdraw from occupied territory in the south, calling the step “essential” for stability.

Aoun’s remarks came during a meeting with US Central Command (CENTCOM) chief Admiral Brad Cooper and Ambassador Lisa Johnson at the Presidential Palace in Baabda, where he urged the revival of the committee supervising the ceasefire to enforce the November 27, 2024 accord, which calls for halting Israeli violations, vacating occupied hills, and releasing Lebanese prisoners.

He linked those measures to the cabinet’s recent decision to confine arms to state security forces, noting that the army now controls more than 85% of land south of the Litani River and has started collecting weapons from Palestinian camps.

Cooper pledged continued US assistance with training and equipment and announced that the monitoring body will meet on September 7 to assess steps toward stability.

On Friday, Lebanon’s cabinet welcomed a plan placing weapons solely under army authority, triggering a walkout by Shiite ministers — two from Hezbollah, two from Amal, and one independent.

The United States has backed the initiative, warning that failure to implement it could give Israel grounds to renew hostilities following last year’s war with Hezbollah.