India concerned over civilian casualties in Lebanon, calls for adherence to international law

New Delhi: India on Friday expressed its concern over the reports of civilian casualties in Lebanon, emphasising that the direction of recent events is very disturbing.

While addressing an inter-ministerial briefing on recent developments in West Asia in New Delhi on Friday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal called for adherence to international law and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. He stated that the Indian Embassy remains in touch with the Indian community in Lebanon.

“We are deeply concerned by reports of a large number of civilian casualties in Lebanon. As a troop contributing country to the UNIFIL that is invested in Lebanon’s peace and security, the direction of events is very disturbing. India has always emphasised the protection of civilians as the foremost priority. Observing international law, and respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is essential. Our Embassy in Lebanon remains in close touch with the Indian community for its safety and security,” Jaiswal stated.

According to the MEA spokesperson, there are about 1,000 Indian nationals in Lebanon currently.

His statement comes after a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran took effect on Wednesday, with peace talks scheduled to begin on Saturday. However, Israel has said that the ceasefire does not cover military action in Lebanon.

On April 8, Israel Prime Minister’s Office expressed support for the US decision to suspend strikes on Iran. However, it mentioned that the two-week truce does not include military operations in Lebanon.

Hours after the temporary truce was announced between the United States and Iran, Israel claimed of giving Hezbollah one of the biggest blows by attacking “100 targets in 10 minutes” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insisting that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire deal.

Asserting that Tehran is beaten and weaker than ever with its missile production machinery destroyed completely, Reuven Azar, the Ambassador of Israel to India, on Thursday told IANS that Israel will continue to respond to the threat posed by Hezbollah.

“We have made this clear, and the American administration has confirmed it. We were attacked unilaterally by Hezbollah, that has violated not only this ceasefire but also terms that were signed last year. They were not supposed to operate in southern Lebanon. The Lebanese government committed to disarming them, but that has not happened. Therefore, we are defending ourselves, especially our border communities, which have been heavily targetted by Iranian missiles and anti-tank weaponry,” Azar told IANS in an exclusive interview.

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Wednesday that it has stopped operations against Iran but continues to conduct targetted ground operations against Hezbollah.

“In accordance with directives from the political echelon, the IDF has ceased fire in the operation against Iran, and is highly prepared to respond defensively against any violation. Overnight, the IDF conducted a wide-scale wave of strikes targeting missile launch sites and launchers across Iran, in order to significantly degrade its launching capabilities. Simultaneously, in Lebanon, the IDF is continuing to conduct targeted ground operations against Hezbollah. The IDF will continue to operate across all fronts to defend Israel,” IDF posted on X.

IANS