By Elena Teslova
MOSCOW (AA) — Russia on Friday strongly condemned an Israeli strike on UN peacekeepers in Lebanon.
"Moscow strongly condemns the actions of Israeli forces. The Russian side is calling for an immediate cessation of hostile actions against UN peacekeepers who are carrying out their mission in Lebanon in accordance with the UN Security Council mandate," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Russia extends its support to the wounded peacekeepers and wishes them a speedy recovery, it added.
On Oct, 10, a Merkava tank shelled a watchtower of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), located near the town of Naqoura, not far from the Blue Line that separates Israel and Lebanon. The attack wounded two peacekeepers, with Israeli forces also shelling several other UN positions.
In a public statement, UNIFIL spokesperson Andrea Tenenti condemned the attacks as deliberate, emphasizing that they constitute a gross violation of international humanitarian law and UN Security Council Resolution 1701.