LONDON: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday that Moscow would send additional humanitarian aid to Lebanon and called for an immediate ceasefire as Israeli military operations continued.
Speaking in Moscow after talks with Lebanese Foreign Minister Youssef Raji, Lavrov reaffirmed Russia’s support for Lebanon’s sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.
“We have always been ready to support our Lebanese friends, including in the current situation,” Lavrov said. “Almost 1 million Lebanese citizens have been seriously affected, with their rights violated, and the humanitarian situation in Lebanon remaining tense.”
Russia sent humanitarian aid to Lebanon in April and plans further deliveries, Lavrov said, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
His comments came as the death toll from Israeli attacks in Lebanon continued to rise. At least 4,386 people have been killed and 12,424 wounded since March 2, according to Lebanon’s Health Ministry.
Lavrov welcomed the start of direct, US-mediated talks between Israel and Lebanon but said the conflict must move toward a political and diplomatic settlement.
He called for the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which helped end the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah.
The resolution calls for a cessation of hostilities, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon as the Lebanese army deploys there, and an area between the Israeli border and the Litani River free of unauthorized weapons.
“Had this resolution been implemented, the problems Lebanon and Israel are facing today would have been resolved long ago,” Lavrov said.
Lavrov also said the Israeli military was violating international law and fueling further escalation.
“In light of Israel’s ongoing actions in Lebanon, we reaffirmed the Russian Federation’s principled position in support of the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the Lebanese Republic,” he told reporters.
“We stand by our assessment that the use of force by the IDF, the Israeli army, grossly violates international law and fuels further tensions and escalation in Lebanon.”
He said Russia would continue supporting Lebanon at the UN Security Council and defended the role of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, in limiting instability.
UNIFIL’s mandate runs through Dec. 31, when the peacekeeping mission is scheduled to begin an orderly withdrawal lasting up to a year. Its responsibilities include monitoring hostilities, supporting the Lebanese army and helping facilitate humanitarian access.
Israel and Lebanon signed a US-sponsored framework agreement on June 26 establishing a phased process under which the Lebanese army would take control of designated areas as Israeli forces withdrew. The agreement links further Israeli redeployments to the verified disarmament of nonstate armed groups, including Hezbollah.
Israeli forces, however, continue to control parts of southern Lebanon, and military operations have persisted.