 "An Israeli mobile artillery unit fires a shell from northern Israel towards Lebanon, in a position near the Israel-Lebanon border. Image- AP")
Russia and Spain urged Israel to “immediately” pull its troops out of southern Lebanon on Tuesday after the Israeli military began what it said were “ground raids” against Hezbollah terrorists in the area.
Israel announced the assault after launching a week of intense air strikes on Lebanon that left hundreds dead and killed Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, military operations the Kremlin also condemned.
“Russia strongly condemns the attack on Lebanon and calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately cease hostilities, withdraw their troops from Lebanese territory and engage in a real search for peaceful ways to resolve the Middle East conflict,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
“We express our solidarity with the leadership and people of friendly Lebanon, which has been subjected to armed aggression,” it added.
Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares also said on Tuesday that Israel should cease conducting ground raids in southern Lebanon to avoid an escalation of the conflict enveloping the wider region.
Moscow, which launched an offensive in Ukraine in 2022, has close ties with Hezbollah-backer Iran and has expressed concerns about a wider war in the region.
“We insist that the ground incursion should be halted, as we’re receiving very worrying information,” Albares said, adding that it was “necessary to reach a truce in Lebanon and a ceasefire in Gaza”.
Earlier on Tuesday, Israel said intense fighting erupted with the Iran-backed Hezbollah group in south Lebanon after its paratroopers, commandos and armoured units launched raids at the start of a ground incursion.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsThe operation follows intense airstrikes that have devastated Hezbollah’s leadership, including longtime chief Hassan Nasrallah who was assassinated in Beirut last week.
Albares also condemned Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israeli territory. He said the only way to achieve peace in the Middle East was if belligerents complied with international humanitarian law and respected the protections accorded to civilians.
Since February 2022, Spain has commanded the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and deployed 650 troops along the southern Lebanese border with Israel.
With inputs from agencies.