Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri urged Russia to intervene to avert further escalation with Israel in wake of the recent drone attacks.
His office announced that he had telephoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to condemn Israel’s attack against Beirut’s southern suburbs, deeming it a violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701.
The Foreign Ministry said that Hariri had asked Russia to exert its influence to prevent further escalation between Lebanon and Israel.
Moscow stressed to Beirut its commitment to a sovereign, independent and stable Lebanon, added the ministry. It also urged all parties to respect international law and resolution 1701 that helped end a 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
Hariri’s adviser for Russian affairs, George Shaaban, told Asharq Al-Awsat that Moscow will exert efforts to avoid escalation, revealing that it was contacting concerned parties to that end.
Lavrov underlined the importance of Lebanon’s stability, adding however, that it still does not have enough details about the drone attacks.
Everything hinges on how Hezbollah will retaliate and how Israel will respond in turn, he said.
On Sunday, two Israeli drones crashed in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a Hezbollah stronghold.
One of the drones blew up near the ground, causing some damage to Hezbollah’s media center. Israeli officials have declined to comment when asked if Israel was responsible.
Precise details about where the drones were fired from have yet to emerge. Hezbollah has said the two drones were rigged with explosives after its experts took apart the first drone.
Israel used the attack, for which the Jewish state has not claimed responsibility, "to change the rules of engagement," Hariri had said during a meeting of the Higher Defense Council on Tuesday.
Lebanon vowed during the meeting to defend itself "by any means".
Hezbollah is, meanwhile, preparing a “calculated strike” against Israel, but it seeks to avoid a new war, two sources allied to the party told Reuters on Tuesday.
In a briefing to the Security Council, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov urged all parties to exercise the greatest level of restraint.
Lebanon's ambassador to the UN, Amal Mudallali called on the council to exert the necessary and effective pressure on Israel to cease its violations against the country.
