STORY: Qatar pledges to support Lebanon amid escalating Hezbollah-Israeli conflict
SHOOTING TIME: Oct. 8, 2024
DATELINE: Oct. 9, 2024
LENGTH: 0:02:18
LOCATION: Beirut
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Mikati and al-Khater meeting
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): LOLWAH AL-KHATER, Qatar's Minister of State for International Cooperation
3. various of Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut

STORYLINE:

Visiting Qatar's Minister of State for International Cooperation Lolwah Al-Khater expressed on Tuesday Qatar's support for Lebanon amid the escalating Hezbollah-Israeli conflict, assuring unity among Arabs in condemning Israeli attacks.

According to a statement released by the Lebanese Council of Ministers, Al-Khater met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati, in which she emphasized Qatar's support for Lebanon amid the escalating Hezbollah-Israeli conflict and assured unity among Arabs in condemning Israeli attacks.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Arabic): LOLWAH AL-KHATER, Qatar's Minister of State for International Cooperation
"My visit is a message of support from the state of Qatar from its leadership, government and people to the Republic of Lebanon and the brotherly Lebanese people during these rough times they are passing through due to the aggressions of the occupation forces of Israel. We reiterate our firm and constant position regarding Lebanon and its sovereignty and its right to preserve its security and stability and the security of its people. We strongly condemn any aggression against the Lebanese civilians, and honestly, the Israeli occupation forces should not have persisted and expand the area of conflict out of Gaza as the international community took a serious stance against the events in Gaza, then we saw the expansion of the conflict to the West Bank and now to Lebanon."

She noted that Qatar is working on medium and long-term plans to contain the humanitarian crisis of more than 1.2 million Lebanese displaced.

Before the meeting with Mikati, Al-Khater announced the launch of an airbridge from Doha to Beirut. A total of 10 Qatari aircraft are set to deliver medical supplies, shelter materials, and food to Lebanon throughout October.

Since Sept. 23, Israel has launched an intensive air campaign on Lebanon marking a significant escalation with Hezbollah. The recent escalation has caused great casualties and displaced hundreds of thousands of people across Lebanon.

The total number of fatalities in Lebanon since the onset of Israeli attacks has exceeded 2,100, with over 10,000 individuals injured, according to Lebanese authorities.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Beirut.
(XHTV)