The President of the Republic, General Joseph Aoun, affirmed during his reception of a delegation of liberal professions unions that “civil peace cannot be compromised because the Lebanese have become fully convinced that there is no going back, and the political class is also working to remove this problem and its disastrous impact, through a clear, unified speech.” He said: “We are keen on civil peace and internal stability in Lebanon, and preventing strife that would threaten the survival of Lebanon because everyone who fuels it provides a service to Israel.” President Aoun stressed that “the backbone and basis for preventing strife is the army and security services, who are sometimes subjected to criticism and attack while they continue to offer the highest levels of sacrifices and martyrs on the altar of the nation, and they carry out their duty to the fullest despite the harsh economic crisis that Lebanon is going through.” He added: "Lebanon has lost more than 3,000 martyrs, more than a million displaced persons, thousands of destroyed homes, and there is no prospect of an end to this situation. Therefore, as President of the Republic, it was necessary for me to do what my conscience and duty to my country and people impose on me. It is the state's duty to care for its citizens and not to stand still without us doing anything, and there is no other option but negotiation." He considered that "strength does not lie in waging war, but rather in having the courage and wisdom to end the war through negotiation for the benefit of the country, which remains the basis above all else."