Lebanese legislators extended the army chief’s term on Friday, averting a military power vacuum as the country tackles the fallout from the Israel-Hamas conflict without a president or a fully functional government.
According to Lebanon’s official National News Agency, parliament authorized deferring the retirement of senior officials at the top of the military and security agencies by one year.
Army Chief of Staff Joseph Aoun is expected to retire on January 10, 2024, leaving the second most senior military job vacant.
Lebanon has been without a president for more than a year, and its government is acting as a caretaker as a result of political gridlock.