Qatar urges parties in Lebanon to avoid escalation

By Ahmet Gencturk

ANKARA (AA) – Qatar urged parties in Lebanon on Thursday to avoid escalation and exercise restraint after armed clashes in Beirut left six people dead.

Affirming the Gulf nation’s continued support to Lebanon, the Qatari Foreign Ministry called on Lebanese parties to prioritize national interest over partisan and political interests in a statement.

The ministry also underlined the need for concerted international efforts to find effective solutions to the crisis in Lebanon.

Earlier Thursday, unknown gunmen opened fire on protesters from rooftops near the Palace of Justice, forcing demonstrators and journalists to take cover.

Clashes then broke out between masked gunmen and the snipers, leaving six people dead and 32 others wounded.

The protest was held to demand the removal of Tarek Bitar, the judge heading the probe into last year's deadly Beirut port blast, after the court dismissed a complaint against him and allowed him to continue the investigation.

Commenting on the violence, the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah and the Amal movement released a joint statement accusing an "armed group" affiliated with the Lebanese Forces party led by Samir Geagea of being behind the attack.

The Lebanese military said in a statement that the protesters were attacked while they were heading towards the Palace of Justice.

The Beirut port blast in August 2020 killed more than 200 people, wounded around 6,000 and left some 300,000 homeless besides causing massive damage and further weakening Lebanon’s already fragile economy.