Lebanon relies on support of 'friendly' countries to halt Israeli aggression

Lebanon relies on the support of “friendly” countries to halt Israeli aggression, Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said Friday.

During a phone call with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Raggi said Lebanon is counting on allied nations to help stop the ongoing escalation.

He added that Lebanon also needs support to implement decisions aimed at asserting full sovereignty and restricting weapons to legitimate state forces across all its territory, according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

Raggi expressed his “deep gratitude and appreciation” to Qatar for its “sincere sentiments.”

For his part, Al-Khulaifi affirmed his country’s continued support for Lebanon and voiced Qatar’s rejection of ongoing Israeli attacks, condemning strikes on civilians.

Qatar has sent a plane carrying medical aid, which arrived in Beirut on Friday, the statement added.

The phone call came as Israel continues to carry out airstrikes and a ground offensive in southern Lebanon following a cross-border attack by Hezbollah on March 2, despite a ceasefire that took effect in November 2024.

Earlier, a US State Department official told Anadolu that the US will host direct talks between Israel and Lebanon next week as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations.

The expected talks come after US President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, saying Tehran presented a “workable” 10-point proposal for negotiations.