NEW YORK: Dmitry Polyanskiy, the Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the United Nations, has expressed regret as the UN Security Council once again failed to secure an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Polyanskiy said in a tweet on his X account, “We regret that the UN Security Council once again failed to reflect in its products a clear call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.”
“Nevertheless,” he added, “we decided not break silence as the first paragraph of the draft statement has become more balanced and precise, reflecting the testimonies of UN OCHA officials from the Gaza City.”
“At the same time, we consider the UNSC Press Statement adopted today as an interim product of the SC, and strongly believe that the Council is obliged to return to drafting a resolution with a demand for an immediate ceasefire,” said the Russian diplomat.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA
Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Sunday said ‘no one should drag our country into war, killing, destruction, displacement and homelessness, for no use and for issues that the Lebanese in general and our people in the Lebanese south have nothing to do with.’
Al-Rahi’s remarks, in his Sunday Mass sermon, were an apparent jab at Hezbollah, which had activated Lebanon’s southern front against Israel a day after Hamas launched its unprecedented Oct. 7 attack on south Israel.
‘Lebanon’s message is to be a land of peace and a pioneer of peace, due to its composition, cultural and religious diversity, history, political system and coexistence pact,’ the patriarch added.
Al-Rahi also strongly condemned Israel’s ‘horrible and shameful crimes in the Gaza Strip,’ lamenting that ‘dozens were deliberately killed while starving and waiting for food aid.’
At least 289 people have been killed in Lebanon since the beginning of clashes, mostly Hezbollah fighters and their allies, along with 44 civilians. On the Israeli
side, the army says 10 soldiers and six civilians have been killed, while tens of thousands of residents on both sides have been displaced.
Source: National News Agency – Lebanon