World

Lavrov: Israeli War in Gaza Could Be Stopped 'Quickly' if US Stood on 'Side of Peace'

UNITED NATIONS, September 27 (Sputnik) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday that without the US support of Israel, the war in the Gaza Strip could be stopped quickly.
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"I would like to address the representatives of the United States: the choice is yours. You can continue to block the work of the Security Council, or you can stand on the side of peace, on the side of the international community and demand an end to the war," Lavrov said at the UN Security Council meeting.
"Without your full support for Israel, the conflict can be ended quickly and effectively."
The foreign minister underscored that in the event the US acted for peace in the region, the move would help open conditions for a return to official peace talks on the creation of a Palestinian state.
"The Security Council is not just a platform for exchanging opinions on the most pressing global issues," Lavrov said. "It is also the main body for maintaining international peace and security, a body that has a number of time-tested tools that allow it to ensure the implementation of its decisions."
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"Council members must put the interests of the peoples of Palestine and Israel above narrow political scores and demand an immediate ceasefire, the release of all illegally detained persons, and full and unimpeded humanitarian access."
Lavrov had also stressed Russia's full condemnation of Israel's earlier bombardment in Beirut, where Israeli officials launched a pinpoint airstrike on the main headquarters of the Hezbollah movement.
"We strongly condemn the actions of the Israeli side that flagrantly violate the sovereignty of our friendly Lebanon," Lavrov said at the UN Security Council meeting, calling to stop the spiral violence that is spreading between Israel and Lebanon," Lavrov said.

"The spiral of violence has extended far beyond the Arab-Israeli confrontation, destabilizing not only the regions I have mentioned, but also the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf and North Africa as a whole. The cornerstone of these crisis processes has been and remains the unresolved Palestinian question."

Latest figures from the Lebanese Ministry of Health's Emergency Response Center stated the Friday strike killed six people and injured another 91. Media reports noted that some six buildings had collapsed.
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However, figures are expected to climb as the Israeli military has called for civilians to evacuate neighborhoods in the densely-populated city as they are "near Hezbollah interests." The evacuation extends to the Munir Shadi building and surrounding buildings in the al-Laylaki neighborhood, as well as the Sheet building and Al-Salam Complex in Al-Hadath district.
The warning itself came not long after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated past stances that "Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism," while noting "the choices that all parties make in the coming days will determine which path this region is on with profound consequences for its people now and possibly for years to come."
Blinken, who is facing calls to resign after a report indicated he misled Congress to keep military aid flowing to Israel, stated the options were either a diplomatic solution or conflict.
Global observers have long stated that the Israeli-Hamas conflict would extend into neighboring Lebanon, with many emphasizing that Israeli officials were effectively given a get-out-of-jail-free card by its long-time ally, the US.
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