Beirut, June 1 (Petra) – Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said the decision to negotiate with Israel was a sound one taken by Lebanon in the aftermath of the war, stressing that negotiations are safer than armed conflict and do not constitute surrender or concession.

Speaking on Monday, Aoun said negotiations are not an immediate solution but rather a process that requires time. He described them as the only viable path to ending the conflict while minimising further losses and damage.

Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike targeted areas near Jabal Amel Hospital in Tyre, as well as several villages and towns in the Nabatieh district of southern Lebanon on Monday, coinciding with artillery shelling.

According to local reports, the attack killed five people and injured 24 others.

The injured were transferred to nearby hospitals for treatment, while search and rescue efforts continued to locate missing persons, local sources said.

In a statement, the Lebanese Ministry of Health said the cumulative toll from military operations between March 2 and June 1 had risen to 3,433 fatalities and 10,395 injuries.

//Petra// AK