The United Nations (New York). August 1st. INTERFAX - China, Russia and a number of other countries in the UN Security Council condemned the assassination of the head of the Hamas politburo, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran, while the United States and Britain came out in support of Israel.
"This act was a blatant attempt to sabotage peace efforts. China calls on Israel to end all its military operations in Gaza and immediately stop the collective punishment of the people of Gaza," said China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Fu Tsung.
In turn, Dmitry Polyansky, First Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, expressed the opinion that Haniyeh's murder "deals a serious blow, first of all, to the mediation negotiations between Hamas and Israel aimed at a ceasefire in Gaza."
"Such attempts to draw Iran into a regional confrontation destabilize the already tense atmosphere in the region. The vicious practice of targeted liquidations of prominent political and military figures puts the Middle East on the brink of a region-wide war," Polyansky said.
Meanwhile, Iran's permanent representative to the UN, Amir Saeed Irawani, said that the assassination of Haniyeh could not have happened without the approval of the United States.
"We must not lose sight of the responsibility of the United States as their (Israel's) strategic ally and the main supporters of the Israeli regime in the region for this terrible crime," he said.
In his opinion, by killing Haniyeh, Israel also pursued a political goal aimed at "disrupting the first day of work of the new government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, which prioritizes strengthening peace and stability in the region, as well as expanding cooperation and constructive interaction with the international community."
The Permanent Representative noted that Tehran consistently shows maximum restraint, but reserves the right to a decisive response. He also called on the UN Security Council to condemn Israel and punish it with sanctions.
"The Security Council must take immediate steps to hold Israel accountable for these acts of aggression. This includes considering the imposition of sanctions and other measures necessary to prevent further violations and to make it clear that the international community will not tolerate Israel's malicious actions," he said.
In turn, the head of the Lebanese mission to the UN, Hadi Hashem, warned the UN Security Council that the conflict in the Middle East will have global consequences.
"Israel's true goal is to prolong and intensify military operations, and it is ironic that the murderer of tens of thousands of children in Gaza is shedding tears for the children of the occupied Syrian Golan," Hashem said.
He also called on the international community to prevent the outbreak of a regional conflict.
"What starts in the Middle East will spread to the whole world," he said.
Meanwhile, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Robert Wood said that "the United States did not know about the alleged death of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and was not involved in it."
At the same time, he called on the UN Security Council to support Israel's "right to defend itself from attacks" by groups such as Hezbollah.
He advocated holding Iran accountable for supporting such groups, as well as for alleged violations of international law.
The British Ambassador to the United Nations, Barbara Woodward, made a similar appeal. She stated that the United Kingdom strongly supports Israel and its "right to self-defense in accordance with international humanitarian law."
"We have repeatedly stated in this council about Iran's role in destabilizing the region, using its proxies, including the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthis. This has to stop," she added.
Israel's deputy representative to the UN, Jonathan Miller, called on the Security Council to condemn Iran for supporting regional terrorism and strengthen sanctions against Tehran.
"Iran is not just a sponsor of terrorism, it is the very machine that drives the engine of death and destruction that threatens all of us," he said.
"We call on the international community to hold Tehran accountable for its crimes," Miller added.
