Qatar condemns Israel's expanding Lebanon ground offensive as "dangerous escalation"

Qatar has strongly censured the ongoing Israeli military strikes across Lebanon and the widening of its land operations in the southern sector labelling the military campaign a grave escalation and a breach of international legal frameworksPosting on X Qatars Foreign Ministry denounced Israels continued aggressions on Lebanon and the expansion of the scope of the occupation armys ground incursion in the south of the country and the targeting of civilians and considers it a dangerous escalation and a flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the sister Lebanese Republic and a clear breach of the rules of international humanitarian lawThe Qatari ministry urged global intervention demanding that foreign governments and international organisations exert pressure on Israel to cease its military operations and adhere to global legal normsDemanding accountability from Tel Aviv Doha pressed the international community to oblige the Israeli occupation authorities to stop their repeated aggressions on Lebanon while ensuring absolute respect for international treaties and statutory mandatesHighlevel diplomatic communications have also taken place between Doha and Beirut to discuss bilateral cooperation and address the worsening security crisis in the regionQatars Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh AlKhulaifi held a phone call with Lebanons Deputy Prime Minister Tarek MitriAccording to a Qatari statement regarding the discussion During the call they reviewed the relations of cooperation between the two countries and ways to support and develop them alongside discussing the latest developments in the Lebanese fileMinister of State at Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr_Al_Khulaifi Holds Phone Call with Lebanons Deputy Prime MinisterDoha May 31 2026HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi held a phone call on Sunday withhellip pictwittercomiTKAmLCMpSmdash Ministry of Foreign Affairs Qatar MofaQatar_EN May 31 2026During the exchange the Qatari minister reiterated his nations deep concern over the escalating ground incursions and the deteriorating humanitarian situation affecting the regional populationThese diplomatic condemnations from Doha coincide with a major military escalation on the ground Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday said Israeli forces have captured Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon despite the ongoing ceasefire between the two sides and instructed the Israel Defence Forces IDF to further expand the incursion in LebanonLast night our heroic fighters captured the Beaufort Castle They proudly raised the flag of the State of Israel and the flag of the Golani Brigade there Netanyahu said in a televised statementI remind you that 44 years ago this place was a symbol of a heroic battle by our fighters but it was also a symbol of deep division among us Today we returned to Beaufort differently We returned united determined and stronger than ever he addedNetanyahu further stated that the capture marks a significant turn in Israels military campaign reflecting unity and determination among Israeli forcesThe Israeli Prime Minister further stated that the IDF has crossed the Litani River taken dominant terrain and is now tasked with deepening control over areas previously held by HezbollahNetanyahu emphasised that operations are ongoing on multiple fronts including Syria Gaza and Lebanon and described the capture of Beaufort as a dramatic stage in Israels security strategySince the beginning of the War of Redemption we have eliminated 8000 Hezbollah terrorists Since Operation Roaring Lion 3000 In the past month alone 700 This is more than everyone we eliminated during the Second Lebanon War I have instructed the IDF to expand the incursion in Lebanon Our forces have crossed the Litani River They took dominant terrain They captured the Beaufort Ridge And now my instruction is to deepen and expand our hold on places that were under Hezbollahs control he saidThe capture of Beaufort is a dramatic stage and a dramatic change in the policy we are leading We have broken the barrier of fear We are taking the initiative we are operating on all fronts in Syria in Gaza and in Lebanon We have established security zones beyond our borders to protect our communities he addedThe announcement follows an official statement from the IDF on Telegram which confirmed that operations began several days ago in the Beaufort Ridge and Wadi alSaluki area in southern Lebanon to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and eliminate threats to Israeli communities in the Galilee Panhandle and MetulaThe operation approved by the IDFs Chief of the General Staff involved extensive preparatory airstrikes artillery and tank fire and engineering work to secure commanding terrain and neutralise Hezbollah infrastructure under Iranian directionAccording to the IDF the offensive aims to expand the Forward Defence Line degrade Hezbollahs capabilities and remove launch infrastructure used for attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiersThe Israeli forces are now operating near Nabatieh a major Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon and the military has indicated readiness to broaden the operation as requiredNetanyahu concluded saying It will take time but we will complete the mission affirming Israels commitment to restoring security for residents in the northern border regionsTel Avivs plans to continue its territorial expansion in Lebanon come a few days after the Israeli PM directed the countrys military to expand its control over the Gaza Strip stating that the objective is to take over 70 per cent of the territory CNN reportedAs reported by CNN Netanyahu commented during an interview at a conference in the occupied West Bank The Israeli Prime Minister said Israel is tightening its grip on Hamas and is currently controlling around 60 per cent of GazaWe are now in 60 per cent of the territory of the Gaza Strip We were at 50 per cent We moved to 60 per cent My directive is to move totake it step by stepfirst of all 70 he said adding that the military will proceed incrementallyHis remarks come as earlier reports indicated that the IDF had already issued maps to aid agencies showing control over approximately 64 per cent of GazaExpanding control further would compress nearly 2 million Palestinians into an increasingly smaller area of the besieged enclave CNN reportedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever