“The number of incidents on the Blue Line with Lebanon, including the largest exchange of missile strikes since 2006, has increased,” the top diplomat said
The events in the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and along the line of withdrawal between Israel, Lebanon and Syria have brought tensions in the region to a breaking point, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.
He made the statement at a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
“The events in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem and along the line of withdrawal between Israel, Lebanon and Syria have raised tensions to an extremely dangerous point. Since the start of the year, as a result of military raids in Jenin, Jericho, Nablus, Huwara, clashes in connection with the violation of the status of holy places, more than a hundred Palestinians have been killed and thousands more wounded. The number of victims among Israelis is also growing,” he said.
The minister added that the situation had been exacerbated by Israeli strikes on Syria, including the shelling of Aleppo airports, which were being used to deliver humanitarian aid to the victims of the major earthquake that took place in February.
“The number of incidents on the Blue Line with Lebanon, including the largest exchange of missile strikes since 2006, has increased,” Lavrov said.
He also stated that one should not turn a blind eye to the radicalization in Palestine and the deepening split between the main parties in the country, which has the potential to erupt into violent confrontation.
“It is impossible to ignore the record pace of construction of settlements by Israelis, with the retroactive legalization of outposts, the expropriation of land, the demolition of houses, and arbitrary arrests,” Lavrov said.
Source: Tass
