Newly elected Lebanese president Joseph Aoun (C) stands next to the Parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, as he delivers a speech Thursday.

 Lebanon's newly elected president, Joseph Aoun, said Thursday that "a new phase" has started for the war-ravaged country and pledged to rebuild the state, adopt a policy of "positive neutrality" and fight corruption.

And he said the Army will be the only organization in charge of protecting the country from Israeli aggression.

"My pledge to the Lebanese, wherever they are, and for the whole world to hear, is that today, a new phase in Lebanon's history has begun," Aoun said in his acceptance speech shortly after he was elected by the 128-member parliament and sworn in as the new head of state with 99 votes.

He said his election today came "amid a Middle Eastern earthquake" that led to the "cracking of alliances and fall of regimes," a clear reference to Iran's weakened "Axis of Resistance" in the region and the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar Assad and his Baath regime.

Aoun, who has served as Army commander since 2017, emphasized the right of the Lebanese state in "monopolizing weapons" in a direct allusion to the heavily armed Iran-backed Hezbollah, which was greatly weakened as result of a 14-month destructive war with Israel.

He said the Lebanese Army and security forces will be the "main tool" to preserve security and apply the laws in the country, control the borders, combat terrorism, implement international resolutions, respect the 1948 armistice agreement between Lebanon and Israel and "prevent Israeli aggressions" on Lebanon.

He promised, however, to initiate discussions "over a defense strategy" that would enable the Lebanese authorities to end Israel's occupation of parts of south Lebanon and "deter its aggression."

His pledge constitutes a major shift toward regaining control of the country after decades of Hezbollah military dominance justified by the need to fight Israel and deter its repeated aggression, according to observers.

But Hezbollah suffered heavy blows during its war with Israel, forcing it to accept a U.S.-sponsored cease-fire agreement Nov. 27 to end the hostilities. Under the 60-day deal, the militant group should withdraw to south of the Litani River and will not be allowed to rebuild its infrastructure.

On its part, Israel started to gradually pull out from occupied parts in southern Lebanon, paving the way for the Lebanese Army and security forces to deploy and take control of the border area.

The Israeli pullout and Lebanese Army take-over should be completed by Jan. 27 -- a delicate mission that the new president would need to oversee.

Aoun, whose election ended more than 26 months of presidential vacuum, also promised to rebuild "what the Israeli enemy has destroyed" during the war.

The relentless Israeli air and ground bombardment led to widespread destruction of villages, property, hospitals and schools in Beirut's southern suburbs and in southern and eastern Lebanon. It also killed or wounded more than 20,000 people.

The newly elected President moreover pledged to fight Lebanon's widespread corruption, "mafias," drug smuggling and money-laundering, as well as reactivate the judiciary.

Restoring "best relations" with the Arab countries, especially the rich Gulf states and new post-Assad Syria, was another Aoun promise. Without the Gulf countries' financial support, Lebanon would not be able to reconstruct its war-damaged areas.

Fadi Karam, a deputy in the parliament who represents the anti-Hezbollah Christian Lebanese Forces" party, hailed Aoun's election, saying it ushered "the end of an era full of failure and illegal actions."

"We have started a totally new chapter whereby the state is the only authority," Karam told UPI. "That was the battle that we have fought against Hezbollah and Iran's axis for many long years."

He called on Hezbollah to "realize the huge strategic changes" that resulted from Assad's fall in Syria and "the defeat of Iran's axis," saying the "only way to save itself" is to drop its military arm and become only a political party.

Hezbollah and its ally, the Shiite Amal movement, which first cast blank ballots, decided to vote for Joseph Aoun during the second round as result of last-minute negotiations led by House Speaker Nabih Berri, who also is the leader of the Amal movement.

Mohamad Raad, head of Hezbollah's parliamentary bloc, said its delay in endorsing Aoun's candidacy was "a message" to state that his Iran-backed group was the "protector of sovereignty and national accord" in the country.

Aoun's election was made possible after Hezbollah's candidate in the presidential elections, Suleiman Frangieh, withdrew Wednesday and announced his endorsement for the Army chief.

In 2016, Hezbollah had forced the election of its ally, former Army commander Michel Aoun, after a 29-month vacuum in the presidency.

On Thursday, Jospeh Aoun emerged as a leading candidate for the presidency with more parliamentarians backing him amid firm support from the United States and Saudi Arabia, whose respective envoys -- Amos Hochstein and Prince Yazid bin Farhan -- visited Beirut this week to help secure his election.

The United States and Saudi Arabia are part of a committee that also includes France, Egypt and Qatar and tasked with helping Lebanon resolve its political crisis and presidential vacuum.

The consensus on Aoun was largely based on his integrity and successful record in leading the military institution during the country's worst financial crisis and security instability, as well as dealing with numerous challenges, including handling Hezbollah.

He also emerged as a trusted and assuring personality for many international and Arab donors, who continued to provide sorely needed financial and logistical support for the Lebanese Army in a country plagued with corruption.

A 61-year-old Christian Maronite from the town of Aishiye in southern Lebanon, Aoun was appointed Army commander in 2017. His mandate was extended twice after he was set to retire last year.

He holds a bachelor's degree in political science and international affairs from the Lebanese American University, as well as a bachelor's in military science. He is married and has two children. He speaks Arabic, French and English.

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