Russia Says it Is Surprised by Lebanon’s Condemnation of Invasion

A man inspects the damage at a building following a rocket attack on the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP)
A man inspects the damage at a building following a rocket attack on the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP)
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Russia Says it Is Surprised by Lebanon’s Condemnation of Invasion

A man inspects the damage at a building following a rocket attack on the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP)
A man inspects the damage at a building following a rocket attack on the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. (AP)

Russia's embassy in Lebanon was surprised by the Lebanese foreign ministry statement that condemned the Russian military operations in Ukraine, it said in a statement on its Facebook page.

"The statement... surprised us by violating the policy of self-distancing and by taking one side against another in these events, noting that Russia spared no effort in contributing to the advancement and stability of the Lebanese Republic," the statement said.

Lebanon condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Thursday and called on Moscow to halt its military operations at once.



UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Lebanon Has Recorded over 30 Incidents Resulting in Damage

A Lebanese army soldier stands near UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, southern Lebanon October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
A Lebanese army soldier stands near UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, southern Lebanon October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
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UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Lebanon Has Recorded over 30 Incidents Resulting in Damage

A Lebanese army soldier stands near UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, southern Lebanon October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher
A Lebanese army soldier stands near UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL) vehicles in Marjayoun, near the border with Israel, amid ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, southern Lebanon October 29, 2024. REUTERS/Karamallah Daher

The UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon says it has recorded over 30 incidents resulting in damage to UN property or premises or injuring peacekeepers
Andrea Tenenti, spokesman for the mission known as UNIFIL, told a video press conference from Beirut Wednesday that it attributed about 20 of the incidents to Israeli military fire or actions, “with seven being clearly deliberate.”
In an incident Tuesday, he said, a rocket likely fired by Hezbollah or an affiliated group hit UNIFIL’s headquarters in Naqura, setting a workshop on fire, with some peacekeepers suffering minor injuries, according to The Associated Press.
The origin of the fire couldn’t be determined for about a dozen incidents, he said.
“What has been very concerning are incidents where peacekeepers performing their monitoring tasks, as well as our cameras, lighting and entire watch towners, have been deliberately targeted,” Tenenti said.
He stressed that the actions of both Israeli forces and Hezbollah fighters are putting peacekeepers in danger, whether through deliberate acts or crossfire.
“Despite a very tense situation, UNIFIL continues to stay in contact with Lebanese and Israeli authorities urging de-escalation,” he said.
Even with the dramatic surge in exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah in the past few weeks, Tenenti said UNIFIL has also been working hard behind the scenes to coordinate the delivery of humanitarian aid by UN agencies and their local partners.