Moscow strongly condemns the killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah and urges "Israel" to halt fire, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday, adding that the action has sorrowful implications for Lebanon and the whole Middle East.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry expressed that it "strongly condemns another political assassination committed by Israel. This military action is fraught with even greater dramatic consequences for Lebanon and the entire Middle East. The Israeli side could not have been unaware of this danger, but took such a step, the murder of Lebanese citizens, which will almost inevitably provoke a new outbreak of violence. Thus, it bears full responsibility for the subsequent escalation."

It also urged "Israel" to halt its aggression, saying that doing so would provide the circumstances for the crisis to be resolved.

The world community must do all possible to avoid the Middle East from devolving into a full-fledged war following Sayyed Nasrallah's death, the Ministry warned.

Lavrov says attacks on Lebanon 'inhumane'

Later on Saturday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called the recent terror assault through pagers and walkie-talkies in Lebanon an "inhumane attack".

Addressing the UNGA, Lavrov expressed that the attack "turned civilian technologies into deadly weapons is another blatant example of terrorist methods as a means of achieving political goals."

The senior Russian official urged a swift international probe into the situation and alluded to the complicity of the US and Europe.

"We cannot ignore numerous media publications, including in Europe and in the US, which indicate some degree of involvement or at least awareness on the part of Washington of the preparation of this terrorist attack,"  Lavrov said.

The envoy also described the killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut as a "political murder".

In a related context, Lavrov said "Israel" wants to create "an excuse" for direct US involvement in the Middle East, while Iran is acting responsibly.

"It seems to me, in fact, many people say that Israel wants to create an excuse for the United States to get involved in this war directly, and to create such an excuse, they are trying in every possible way to provoke Iran, and ... Hezbollah," Lavrov told a news conference at the UN General Assembly, adding that "the Iranian leaders, it seems to me, are behaving extremely responsibly. And this must be properly assessed."

The Russian Foreign Minister added that it was necessary to stop the bloodshed in the Middle East and abandon terrorist methods of "settling political scores."

On his part, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the founder and leader of the left-wing party La France Insoumise, has expressed on X that he is "appalled by the scale of the ongoing massacre in Lebanon. Netanyahu is violating the sovereignty of states throughout the region with the complicity of Europe and the USA." 

Consterné par l'ampleur du massacre en cours au Liban. Netanyahu viole la souveraineté des États dans toute la région avec la complicité de l'Europe et des USA. Le génocide à Gaza se propage sans limite.

— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) September 28, 2024

He stated that "Netanyahu's crimes will continue since they are unpunished. The danger is extreme for the region and the world."

L'assassinat d'Hassan Nasrallah est un pas de plus vers l'invasion du Liban et la guerre générale. La France ne compte plus sur place. Les crimes de Netanyahu vont continuer puisqu'ils sont impunis. Le danger est extrême pour la région et le monde.

— Jean-Luc Mélenchon (@JLMelenchon) September 28, 2024

The Cuban President, Miguel Diaz-Canel, also posted a strong condemnation of the assassination. 

Díaz-Canel called the targeting "cowardly" and denounced the destruction and the death of innocent civilians at the hands of the Israeli occupation.

Condenamos el cobarde asesinato selectivo de Hassan Nasrallah, secretario general de Hezbollah, como resultado del ataque perpetrado por Israel contra edificios de viviendas en el suburbio sur de Beirut, causando destrucción y muerte de civiles inocentes.

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— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) September 28, 2024 

 

IOF launch fire belts across parts of Southern Suburb of Beirut

The Israeli occupation escalated its widespread aggression against Lebanon, launching targeted attacks on multiple regions and villages in the Bekaa Valley, the South, and Mount Lebanon, following a night of intense shelling that reverberated through the Southern Suburb of Beirut.

Circulated footage shows the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on a residential area in Borj al-Barajneh, southern suburb of #Beirut.#Lebanon #LebanonUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/y9zCR8wBAi

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) September 28, 2024

In the latest wave of attacks, the occupation conducted a series of raids targeting Baalbek and its surrounding areas, as well as the vicinity of Hermel, according to reports from Al Mayadeen's correspondent in northern Bekaa.

"Israel" launched massive strikes on Friday, targeting residential neighborhoods in the Southern Suburb of Beirut.

Six buildings were razed to the ground as a result of the Israeli aggression, as Israeli media reported that 2,000 tons of explosives were dropped on the neighborhood of Haret Hreik in the assault.

The IOF announced that the goal of the attack was the assassination of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and Israeli Army Radio pointed out that F-35 aircraft carried out the airstrikes using bunker-buster bombs.