Omar Alothmani and Rania Abu Shamala
23 March 2025•Update: 23 March 2025
ISTANBUL
Qatar condemned an Israeli bombardment of southern Lebanon on Saturday, which resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.
The condemnation came during a call between Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and his Lebanese counterpart, Nawaf Salam, according to a statement by the Foreign Ministry.
The statement said the two leaders discussed “cooperation ties between the two countries and ways to bolster them, the latest developments in Lebanon, particularly the ceasefire deal and the withdrawal of Israeli occupation troops from Lebanese territories, in addition to sharing perspectives on a range of regional and global issues of common concern.”
The Qatari prime minister expressed Qatar's condemnation of the Israeli bombardment that targeted southern Lebanon, emphasizing “the importance of all parties' commitment to the ceasefire deal and the pullback of Israeli occupation forces from all Lebanese territories.”
He reaffirmed Qatar’s “unwavering position in support for the Republic of Lebanon and its steadfast commitment to standing by the brotherly people of Lebanon.”
According to an Anadolu tally, based on official Lebanese sources, seven victims were killed and 40 injured in the airstrikes.
The talks came after Israel claimed its settlement of Metula was hit by a rocket attack originating from Lebanon, prompting Israeli forces to retaliate with airstrikes on villages and towns in southern Lebanon.
It marked the first rocket attack of its kind since a ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel took effect nearly four months ago.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack on Metula.
A fragile ceasefire had been in place in Lebanon since November, ending months of cross-border warfare between Israel and the Lebanese group, Hezbollah, which escalated into a full-scale conflict in September.
Lebanese authorities reported nearly 1,100 Israeli violations of the ceasefire, including the deaths of at least 85 victims and injuries to more than 280.
Under the ceasefire deal, Israel was supposed to fully withdraw from southern Lebanon by Jan. 26, but the deadline was extended to Feb. 18 after Israel refused to comply. It still maintains a military presence at five border outposts.
