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Aoun pledges to lead the fight for retired military rights
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has vowed to be “on the front line” in defending the rights of retired military personnel, during a meeting held Friday at the presidential palace in Baabda with a delegation from the Lebanese Armed Forces Veterans League, led by former general and MP Chamel Roukoz.
President Aoun paid tribute to the sacrifices made by army retirees and security forces, who have endured long absences from their families and operated under stressful and dangerous conditions. Given the deepening socio-economic crisis in Lebanon, which has significantly eroded public sector and military wages, Aoun emphasized the urgent need to ensure that veterans live with dignity.
He committed to actively supporting their demands, including efforts to increase retirement benefits, ensure fair medical coverage, and provide educational aid for the children of veterans.
General Roukoz, for his part, reaffirmed his trust in Aoun, recalling his leadership of the army during Lebanon’s most critical periods, including last year’s conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. He insisted that decent living conditions, proper healthcare, children’s education, and care for the families of fallen or injured soldiers are not privileges, but legitimate rights.
Recently, Finance Minister Yassine Jaber signed a decree providing exceptional aid for July to active military personnel, retirees, and families of soldiers killed in service. In May, the government approved a pension reform plan for military staff. That move had led to the temporary suspension of protests by the Retired Military Assembly, which had been threatening civil disobedience.
A dedicated commission is currently working on sustainable solutions to the demands of Lebanon’s retired soldiers, many of whom have faced a drastic decline in their incomes since the onset of the economic and financial crisis in 2019.