MOSCOW, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Russia strongly condemns Israel's latest airstrikes on Lebanon, which have killed over 250 people and injured more than 1,100 others, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Thursday.
"We strongly condemn this Israeli attack on Lebanon, which has caused numerous casualties among innocent people and large-scale destruction of civilian infrastructure," she said.
Zakharova noted that such aggressive actions threaten to derail the emerging negotiation process and increase the risk of a resumption of large-scale armed confrontation in the Middle East.
"It is noteworthy that the attack was carried out almost immediately after the U.S.-Iranian agreement on a two-week ceasefire came into effect, when the opportunity arose to reach a diplomatic resolution to the acute military and political crisis in the region," she said.
Zakharova said that Russia advocates for an immediate ceasefire in the Israeli-Lebanese conflict zone and a return to the focus of political and diplomatic efforts, including ensuring the full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701.
Moscow reaffirms its principled position in support of the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of Lebanon, she said.
"We are committed to close cooperation with regional and international partners to facilitate the sustainable stabilization of the situation in Lebanon and the Middle East region as a whole," Zakharova added. ■