Statement by Chargé d'Affaires Dmitry Polyanskiy at UNSC briefing on the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran
Dear Colleagues,
In its national capacity, Russia supported the initiative of Algeria and China to convene today's meeting with regard to yet another extremely threatening cycle of escalation in the Middle East region. We have thoroughly examined the position of Iran as set out in the letter distributed earlier this morning. We are grateful to Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo for her comprehensive briefing and assessments of the situation in Iran and the region.
Russia resolutely condemns the assassination of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh following a missile attack on his residence in Tehran on the night of July 31. This was a provocative attack carried out while the Hamas leader was officially invited to Iran to attend the inauguration ceremony of IRI President-elect Massoud Pezeshkian.
Those behind this political assassination must have realized how dangerous the ramifications could be for the entire region. It strikes a serious blow primarily for the mediated negotiations between Hamas and Israel, aimed at a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Haniyeh was a key contributor to these talks. We all need to understand that.
Such attempts to drag Iran into a regional confrontation tend to destabilize the already highly charged atmosphere in the region. The vicious practice of targeted killings of high-profile political and military figures is bringing the Middle East to the verge of a region-wide war.
We all vividly remember the perilous escalation in January 2020, when the region teetered on the edge of confrontation as a result of the US assassination of Qasem Soleimani and a number of Iraqi officials on the territory of Iraq. We note with regret that the necessary conclusions were never drawn. By acting irrespobsibly, Washington has set a bad example for others, and actions undermining the stability and security of the entire region persist.
What is of particular importance now is to exercise restraint and avoid taking steps that could lead to further escalation in the Middle East. Unfortunately, we have seen the opposite so far. Yesterday, an Israeli UAV attacked a residential building in a densely populated neighborhood of Beirut's southern suburbs near one of Lebanon's largest hospitals, Bahman. The attack killed one woman and two children, and more than 80 people were injured.
Western Jerusalem claimed they eliminated a Hezbollah senior military commander, who the Israelis accused of perpetrating the shelling of the town of Majdal Shams in the occupied Golan Heights. The political assassination of Mr. Haniyeh also fits into the same logic of spiraling escalation.
We strongly condemn any steps of this kind, as well as acts of violence against civilians, which could potentially entail numerous casualties among civilians and destruction of civilian infrastructure.
It is essential to prevent the situation from descending into a full-scale regional war. Regarding the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah, we have consistently stressed the need for full and comprehensive implementation of UNSC resolution 1701, which clearly sets out for Israel to cease all offensive military operations and pull out its armed forces from southern Lebanon, as well as to end the occupation of Lebanese lands. And Hezbollah for its part is obligated by the resolution to withdraw all its troops north of the Litani River.
Colleagues, it is clear to everyone that the key to resolving the current unprecedented escalation lies in ending the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, where the number of casualties is approaching the 40,000 mark and over 90,000 have been injured. Humanitarian workers and journalists are also being targeted and killed.
The only way out is to establish a ceasefire as soon as possible, to exchange hostages and prisoners and ensure unimpeded humanitarian access to the enclave. Only then will we be able to restart the process of a peaceful settlement of the Palestinian crisis on an internationally recognized basis of the two-State solution, which we have always advocated. We are willing to cooperate with all those who share these goals.
Thank you for your attention.
