00:00Unfortunately, the Middle East region is literally sliding into the abyss of a new major war
00:08before our eyes, and the Security Council is just watching helplessly.
00:15The inhumane Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip continues, despite the demands
00:20of the overwhelming majority of the international community to stop it.
00:26The spiral of violence has predictably led to an escalation of the situation in the Lebanese-Israeli
00:31border area, in Yemen and the Red Sea.
00:35However, instead of using the possibilities of diplomacy, the authorities of West Jerusalem
00:41have made a clear bet on the forceful suppression of their concerns, and their American accomplices
00:49are playing along with them in everything, paralyzing the work of the Security Council.
00:55As a result, Lebanon has become the new victim of the Israeli military machine.
01:00After intensive shelling of Lebanese cities, the southern neighbor began a ground operation
01:05in this country.
01:07In addition, after a series of political assassinations, including the assassination of Hamas Executive
01:14Council Chairman Ismail Haniyeh, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, and a number
01:20of other leaders of movements opposing Israel, Iran has also joined the confrontation, having
01:26demonstrated exceptional restraint under the circumstances for two months.
01:31From the speeches of our Western colleagues, one gets the impression that the only problem
01:38facing the Security Council today is a response to Iran's missile strike.
01:45It is difficult to imagine what role the diplomatic process can play in such an assessment of
01:54the situation.
01:57As if all this happened in a vacuum.
02:04As if nothing is happening and has not happened in Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, Syria, Yemen,
02:10which has led to a new, extremely dangerous round of the growing Middle East conflict.
02:18Russia strongly condemns the attack on Lebanon and calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately
02:23cease military action and withdraw troops from Lebanese territory.
02:29We see no justification for new civilian casualties, which already number in the thousands.
02:35We express solidarity with the leadership and people of friendly Lebanon, which has
02:39been subjected to armed aggression.
02:41We express our sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of the victims.
02:46We demand the full and comprehensive implementation of Security Council Resolution 17-01, which
02:53contains both Israel's commitment to cease all offensive military operations, withdraw
02:59its armed forces from southern Lebanon and end its occupation of Lebanese territories,
03:04and Hezbollah's commitment to withdraw its units north of the Litani River.
03:09The Israeli side must strictly ensure the security of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon,
03:15which is exposed to unpredictable risks due to the Israeli invasion.
03:20We recall that threats to the lives and health of Blue Helmets may constitute a war crime.
03:27We also strongly condemn the assassination of Hassan Nasrallah.
03:32It is disgusting that more than 80 bombs weighing one ton were dropped on a residential area
03:39of the Lebanese capital to eliminate it.
03:42As a result, six multi-story buildings were destroyed.
03:47What kind of selectivity can we talk about in such circumstances?
03:51This political liquidation is fraught with catastrophic consequences for Lebanon and
03:56the entire Middle East.
03:58West Jerusalem could not help but understand this, but they deliberately went for an escalation.
04:05The Israeli side bears full responsibility for the subsequent escalation and its consequences,
04:11including for the population of Israel.
04:15In fulfilling its mandate to maintain international peace and security, the UN Security Council
04:21must force Israel to immediately cease hostilities.
04:27We are also obliged to make every effort to create conditions for a political and diplomatic
04:32settlement.
04:33In this context, we note Tehran's signal of unwillingness to further spiral the confrontation.
04:39Madam Chairperson, the UN Security Council has recently been frequently, and seemingly
04:45quite rightly, criticized for its inability to stop the violence in the Palestinian-Israeli
04:51conflict zone.
04:53At the same time, those who follow our work know very well that 14 of the 15 members of
05:00the Security Council would have long ago taken the necessary measures to force the parties
05:05to peace, thereby saving the lives of many thousands of innocent women, children and
05:10the elderly.
05:13And Israel would not be able to act so brazenly and disregardingly towards international law
05:19if it did not feel under the unconditional and all-weather protection of the United States.
05:25For the sake of its Middle Eastern ally, Washington has already used its veto power in the Security
05:31Council five times, and since the beginning of July they have been deliberately trying
05:36to lead us all by the nose, advertising their notorious Biden plan and their quiet diplomacy
05:41to conclude a deal between Hamas and Israel.
05:45Frankly speaking, all this creates a persistent impression that Washington is conducting these
05:51indirect negotiations with itself.
05:55It is therefore very symbolic that in order to eliminate the leader of Hezbollah and begin
06:00the most dangerous round of regional escalation was given by the Israeli Prime Minister from
06:05New York, having previously delivered an emphatically militaristic speech from the rostrum of the
06:10UN General Assembly.
06:12This is the kind of harmonious duo, dear colleagues, that we are actually dealing with.
06:17And of course, it is not only a question of moral and political support, but also of multi-billion
06:23dollar arms supplies, which Washington continues to supply to Israel as if nothing had happened.
06:29Despite the extermination of 42,000 Palestinians, of course, Washington does not need any mediation
06:36efforts and continues its inhuman campaign.
06:40As a result, the flames of the all-consuming conflict are spreading ever wider, engulfing
06:45more and more of Israel's neighbors in the region.
06:49The huge and most dangerous illusion is that Israel will be able to remain unharmed in
06:56this growing fire.
07:00This flame is already consuming the lives of the remaining Israeli hostages, and Western
07:05Jerusalem pretends that this is all part of their plan, while disregarding public opinion
07:11in Israel itself.
07:14Madam Chairperson, another dangerous illusion is that Israel, having significant military
07:19superiority, plans to deal with the crisis it provoked itself.
07:25It is becoming increasingly clear that the plans of the Israeli leadership are to provoke
07:30a direct conflict between its main regional adversary Iran and the United States at any
07:35cost.
07:37It is difficult to say whether Washington understands this, but so far this situation
07:41is playing out according to the Israeli plan.
07:45And if it reaches the final, the conflict may reach an unimaginable level of escalation,
07:50threatening not only the Middle East, but the entire world.
07:54We are convinced that it is in our common interest to prevent such a scenario.
07:59I would like to believe that our American colleagues will finally see the light, and
08:04they will fully realize their responsibility as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.
08:09Madam Chairperson, we see the only way out of the situation developing in the Middle
08:15East as the use of all the extensive tools at our Council's disposal, which allow us
08:21to effectively end conflicts and implement existing Security Council resolutions.
08:30Any other initiatives will be temporary and will not bring the desired effect.
08:36We see no alternative to forcing the parties to the conflict to immediately establish a
08:41ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, accompanied by an exchange of hostages and prisoners and
08:46the organization of full and unimpeded humanitarian access to the enclave.
08:52This will lay the foundation for restarting the process of peaceful settlement of the
08:56Palestinian issue on an internationally recognized basis, based on the principle of two states,
09:02which we all consistently support.
09:05The second vector of our efforts is also obvious.
09:08An immediate ceasefire in southern Lebanon and, in general, the refusal of all direct
09:14or indirect parties to the conflict to use force, provocations and hate-inciting rhetoric.
09:20Madam Chairperson, today's news about the UN Secretary General being declared persona
09:26non grata in Israel is an unheard of and extremely boorish decision.
09:31This is a slap in the face not only to the UN, but to all of us.
09:36We call on the members of the Security Council and the members of the UN to respond to this
09:40outrageous step.
09:42I repeat once again, the Security Council has the necessary tools to solve these problems.
09:49The only question is whether there is political will.
09:52And we have it.
09:53Do you have it?
09:55We call on everyone to respond to this question as soon as possible.
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