Qatar urges end to Israeli occupation of Lebanon, condemns regime’s attacks

Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani has called for an end to Israel’s occupation of areas in southern Lebanon, condemning the regime’s deadly attacks on the Arab country.

Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera on Monday, Al Thani said Israel’s continued presence in Lebanese territory “must end” and stressed that Lebanon’s sovereignty “must be respected.”

He also denounced as “unacceptable” Israel’s killing of nearly 100 Lebanese over the past few days.

The Qatari prime minister further criticized Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for fueling tensions, saying it was “not the first time” he had done so in the region.

The Tel Aviv regime has been furious over a temporary Tehran-Washington ceasefire that put a halt to the 40-day illegal US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran earlier this year.

On June 18, Iran and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that calls for a permanent end to hostilities across all fronts, including Lebanon.

Since then, however, Israel has kept bombing Lebanon and occupying parts of the country’s south, where it has imposed a so-called “Yellow Line” — a coercive military buffer resembling the regime’s notorious control measures in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The occupation’s military escalated its strikes on Lebanon on Friday and Saturday, killing 105 people across the country.

Israeli attacks on Lebanon have killed more than 4,100 people and injured over 12,000 others since March 2, according to official Lebanese figures.

Civilian toll rises in Lebanon as Israeli attacks persist despite Iran-US MoU

Israel escalated its attacks on South Lebanon over the past three days.

‘External circumstances could affect Iran-US talks’

Additionally, Sheikh Mohammed urged caution regarding the talks between the United States and Iran, warning that “external circumstances” could still affect the negotiations despite the “will” demonstrated by both sides.

He said that the main objective of the Iran-US MoU is to stop the war and establish a framework for negotiations.

The deal, he added, creates an “institutional framework for the negotiating process” and requires both sides to “meet regularly” to resolve outstanding issues.

During the talks in Switzerland on Sunday and Monday, Iran and the US agreed to a roadmap towards a final deal within 60 days, while technical talks between lower-ranking officials will continue for the rest of the week.

The Qatari premier said the framework presented during the talks in Switzerland was “positive” and that technical discussions were continuing.

“The outcome of any agreement between Iran and the US would affect not only the two parties, but the region,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohammed said that there is a “consensus” among the Persian Gulf Arab countries on pursuing dialogue with Iran, expressing hope that the current diplomatic momentum would also benefit Palestinians “through the achievement of a Palestinian state.”

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