Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated on Wednesday that Israel’s war against Gaza amounts to “collective punishment,” as the death toll in the besieged Strip nears 40,000.
Speaking to reporters at the UN’s New York headquarters, Lavrov argued that Israel’s war has crossed the line, constituting “collective punishment” of the 2.3 million Palestinians in the territory.
“When it comes to collective punishment in violation of international humanitarian law, one cannot fight against one form of violation through other violations. It’s the same principle here,” he said in response to a reporter’s question.
More than nine months into Israel’s genocidal war, vast areas of Gaza are in ruins, with nearly all of its population internally displaced amidst a crippling blockade on food, clean water, and medicine.
🚨🇵🇸‘If the US ended its support, Gaza bloodshed would stop’ – Lavrov
Russia’s🇷🇺 Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the US is 'either unwilling or unable' to stop its support for the fighting in Gaza, prioritizing their own election over the human liveshttps://t.co/99IGlqmTwm pic.twitter.com/9Ma77fwzlo
— Afshin Rattansi (@afshinrattansi) July 17, 2024
The official death toll has exceeded 38,800, with over 89,100 people injured, according to local health authorities. Concerns have been raised that the true death toll could be significantly higher.
Hezbollah, the Lebanese paramilitary and political group, has been engaged in escalating cross-border attacks with Israel for months, aiming to pressure Tel Aviv into agreeing to a cease-fire.
Lavrov commented that the group “has been very much restrained in its actions,” but accused Israel of attempting “to provoke them into a full-blown engagement.” Russia, he said, is “doing everything possible to calm tensions.”
“Neither Hezbollah, nor the government of Lebanon, nor Iran want a full-blown war, and as a suspicion that some circles in Israel are trying to achieve just that, to provoke a full-blown war, trying to engage the US, trying to make the mind,” he said.
🛬 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in New York to chair the upcoming meetings of the UN Security Council within the framework of Russia's UNSC Presidency.#UNCharterIsOurRules pic.twitter.com/ABszzvKwRm
— Russian Embassy in South Africa 🇷🇺 (@EmbassyofRussia) July 16, 2024
“I think it’s terrible if some groups are trying to prioritize their personal interest rather than the interests of their own nation,” Lavrov added.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which recently ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before it was invaded on May 6.
Despite the ruling, Israel has continued its offensive on the city, which had served as a last resort for many of the displaced who were ordered by Israel to relocate to a sprawling tent city near the coast. However, Israel has repeatedly bombed the al-Mawasi “safe zone,” resulting in dozens of civilian deaths.
Ongoing Genocide
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 38,794 Palestinians have been killed, and 89,364 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(PC, Anadolu)
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