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Prime Minister Nawaf Salam issued a memorandum that declared official mourning in Lebanon effective from Sunday through the following Wednesday according to a statement carried by Al Jazeera. The directive instructed all government institutions to lower national flags to half-staff while radio and television stations were ordered to modify their schedules to suit the solemn occasion. Salam’s office further called for prayers seeking divine mercy for the departed leader’s soul. The Amiri Diwan in Qatar had announced the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani in Doha on July 12 2026 at the age of 74 a development that prompted immediate regional responses.
Al Jazeera reported that Salam extended his deepest condolences to the State of Qatar its leadership and its people in a formal message that highlighted Sheikh Hamad’s enduring contributions. The Lebanese premier noted that the late emir would remain in the memory of all Lebanese for the political and humanitarian support he provided during the country’s most difficult times. Salam specifically conveyed his sympathies to Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani while asking for patience and solace for the Qatari people. The statement described Sheikh Hamad as a prominent figure in Arab and Islamic circles whose efforts advanced regional stability.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement separately offered condolences to Qatar’s leadership and citizens praising the former emir’s backing during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon war according to a statement relayed by Doha News on Instagram. The group recalled Qatar’s reconstruction assistance in the southern suburbs of Beirut and in Bint Jbeil following that conflict as well as Sheikh Hamad’s personal visit to those areas. Hezbollah further commended his consistent advocacy for Arab and Islamic causes including the Palestinian right to resist occupation. These tributes underscored the breadth of Sheikh Hamad’s influence beyond Qatar’s borders.
Qatar itself proclaimed four days of national mourning with government operations suspended and flags flown at half-mast throughout the period a parallel measure noted in coverage by Doha News. The Wikipedia entry updated after the announcement recorded that Sheikh Hamad who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013 had laid the foundations of the modern state through investments in education scientific research sports and international media. Regional outlets reported that countries including Kuwait Jordan Palestine India the United Arab Emirates and Germany also announced mourning periods or issued official condolences in the hours following the death. Such coordinated gestures illustrated the former emir’s wide diplomatic footprint.
Sheikh Hamad’s tenure transformed Qatar from a modest Gulf state into a global player with substantial soft-power initiatives that extended humanitarian aid to Lebanon on multiple occasions. Al Jazeera’s compilation of reactions showed that Lebanese officials repeatedly referenced his role in mediating regional crises and supporting reconstruction projects after conflicts. The mourning in Beirut therefore forms part of a broader wave of tributes that began immediately after the Amiri Diwan’s statement. Public buildings across Lebanon will maintain the lowered flags until the conclusion of the four-day period on Wednesday.
