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LONDON: Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the emir of Qatar, and King Philippe of Belgium emphasized their countries’ commitment to strengthening friendship and cooperation in all areas.

The meeting at the Amiri Diwan in Doha on Monday addressed regional issues and Qatar’s role in promoting peace efforts locally and globally.

King Philippe will participate in the second World Summit for Social Development, beginning in Doha on Tuesday, a UN event that focuses on finding ways to alleviate poverty, reduce inequality, and promote social inclusion.

Sheikh Tamim emphasized Qatar’s desire to strengthen relations with Belgium and to elevate them for the mutual benefit of both nations, according to the Qatar News Agency.

During the meeting, they discussed the bilateral relationship between the two countries, ways to enhance it, and key regional and global developments.

Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Mubarak Al-Khulaifi, chief of the Amiri Diwan, and Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al-Khulaifi, minister of state at the ministry of foreign affairs, attended the meeting with various high-ranking officials from Qatar and Belgium.

The World Summit for Social Development runs until Nov. 6. This second summit takes place 30 years since the first was held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1995, where 10 commitments were agreed upon to eradicate poverty, ensure inclusive economic growth, address inequality, and strengthen global cooperation.

BEIRUT: Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed two people and wounded seven others on Monday, the Lebanese health ministry said, after Israel threatened to expand its attacks against Iran-backed Hezbollah.

In a preliminary toll, the ministry said that an “Israeli enemy strike” on the town of Doueir in Nabatiyeh province killed one person and wounded seven others.

The second strike on Aita Al-Shaab in the same province also killed one person, according to the ministry.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that an Israeli drone targeted a car in Doueir, causing it to catch fire.

An AFP photographer at the scene witnessed firefighters extinguishing the flames in the targeted vehicle and around five other damaged cars.

He also saw workers removing shattered glass from shops damaged by the blast.

The NNA said that the strike caused damage to a local shopping center.

Israel has repeatedly bombed Lebanon despite a November 2024 ceasefire that sought to end over a year of hostilities with Hezbollah, escalating attacks in recent days.

It warned on Sunday that it would intensify its attacks against the group, with Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claiming Hezbollah was “playing with fire, and the president of Lebanon is dragging his feet.”

Hezbollah was badly weakened during the war, and the United States has pressured Lebanon to disarm the Iran-backed group.

On Saturday, four people were killed in an Israeli strike on a car in Nabatiyeh province, according to the Lebanese health ministry.

On Friday, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun accused Israel of responding to his offer to negotiate by intensifying its air strikes.

While Lebanese authorities have held indirect talks with Israel in the past, US envoy Tom Barrack told reporters in Bahrain on Saturday that his country was pushing for direct negotiations.