Bkerke: Following his meeting with Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Mar Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi in Bkerke, President Joseph Aoun extended Christmas greetings to the Lebanese people, expressing hope that the upcoming year will mark the 'birth of a new Lebanon', a state of accountability and institutions, not of sects and parties.

According to National News Agency - Lebanon, Aoun referred to the ongoing conflict in the south, stating: "There is a wound bleeding in the south, and with the birth of the new Lebanon, we hope to end wars and live in peace."

The President affirmed a firm commitment to holding the upcoming elections on time, stating: 'Speaker Berri, Prime Minister Salam, and I are determined to hold the elections on schedule. It is a constitutional duty that must be fulfilled.'

Aoun also reassured that diplomatic efforts to prevent war have been ongoing: 'I can tell you that the specter of war has been pushed away from Lebanon, and things are heading in a positive direction, God willing.'