From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, April 16, 2025
Qatar sends aid, military vehicles to Lebanese army amid fallout from Israel-Hezbollah war
Qatar is sending scores of military vehicles to the Lebanese army and a new, $60 million donation to help it pay salaries to officers as Lebanon recovers from the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group’s latest war with Israel, the two Arab countries announce.
The statement by Qatar and Lebanon says 162 military vehicles will be sent to the Lebanese army to help the military “carry out its national duties to preserve stability and control the border.”
Gas-rich Qatar has been a main backer of the Lebanese army since an unprecedented economic crisis engulfed the country in late 2019. Qatar was first sending food aid for the military while cash donations began in 2022.
Hezbollah launched its own attacks on Israel, unprovoked, a day after the Israel-Hamas war erupted on October 7, 2023, with the Palestinian terror group’s onslaught in southern Israel.
After 14 months, a US-brokered ceasefire halted the Hezbollah-Israel war, which caused destruction that will take $11 billion to rebuild, according to the World Bank.
Since the November ceasefire, Lebanon has elected a new president and prime minister, who have both promised to carry out reforms.
The Times of Israel Community.