President of the Republic Joseph Aoun received a parliamentary delegation at Baabda Palace. Representative Melhem Khalaf confirmed after the meeting the commitment to the UNIFIL forces remaining in the south to avoid any security vacuum, pointing to their role in verifying the Israeli withdrawal and supporting the Lebanese army in extending state sovereignty and maintaining stability. He explained that the petition submitted to President Aoun bore the signatures of 86 deputies, while the delegation that visited him included 20 deputies from various orientations and blocs. He stressed that "if it is not possible to extend UNIFIL, a UN force must be maintained in the south in any possible form," while keeping pace with the action of the Security Council countries and the countries participating in the international force. Aoun also received the Director General of Civil Defense, Brigadier General Imad Khraish, and was briefed on civil defense work in Lebanese territory in general and in the south in particular, in addition to operations to put out fires and investigate their causes. The President of the Republic praised the sacrifices of the civil defense men and their dedication to their work, and the development that has been achieved in the General Directorate for a year now.