President Joseph Aoun expressed hope that direct talks on Tuesday in Washington with Israel would lead to an end of the country's suffering after war erupted again between Israel and Hezbollah last month.

"I hope that the meeting in Washington... will mark the beginning of the end of the suffering of the Lebanese people in general, and those in the south in particular," Aoun said in a statement, adding that "stability will not return to the south if Israel continues to occupy its lands."