(RIA Novosti) - Russia's foreign minister said Tuesday that Israel's air strike on the southern Lebanese village of Qana on Sunday, which killed dozens of civilians, was an inadmissible violation of the right to life and other basic human rights.
Sergei Lavrov, who is also chairman-in-office of the Council of Europe's ministerial council, said in a statement that Europe's largest human rights
watchdog deemed such violations inadmissible, and was extremely concerned over the latest Middle East developments, which may trigger a further surge in extremism and intolerance in the troubled region, reports Trend.
Lavrov expressed his condolences to the Lebanese people on behalf of the Council of Europe, of which Russia currently holds the presidency.
He said the killing of innocent civilians by any of the warring sides was an outrageous violation of international humanitarian law, and that the fight against terrorism cannot justify any such violation.
The air strike on Qana killed about 60 civilians, more than half of them children, sparking international outrage. It has been the deadliest attack since July 12, when Israel began its military operation against Hizbollah targets in southern Lebanon following the militant group's capture of two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border raid.