India on Friday said the large number of civilian casualties in Lebanon was "very disturbing" but did not name Israel while referring to the bombings.
This is the third time in less than a fortnight that India has commented on the casualties in Lebanon. In the past two instances, the remarks were specifically on attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
On Thursday, India was, however, not among the signatories to a joint statement of 63 countries and the European Union that expressed concern over the escalation of tensions in Lebanon since March 2 and its impact on the safety and security of peacekeepers.
Asked for India’s reaction on the evolving situation in Lebanon, where Israel continued with its bombings despite the Iran-US ceasefire announced on Wednesday, external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at the inter-ministerial briefing on the West Asia conflict: "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."
Iterating that India has always emphasised the protection of civilians as the foremost priority, Jaiswal said: "Observing international law, and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states is essential."
India had last week twice condemned the attacks on UN peacekeepers deployed in UNIFIL.
Three Indonesian peacekeepers were killed in these attacks, and several blue helmet soldiers from other countries were injured.
"We would like to emphasise that the inviolability of UN missions must be ensured, and the safety and security of our peacekeepers must be ensured. As one of the largest and longest-serving contributors to peacekeeping, as also in consonance with UN Security Council Resolution 2589, we seek accountability for crimes against peacekeepers," the ministry had said last week.
Israel invaded Lebanon last month in pursuit of Hezbollah after the group fired into Israel in support of Iran. India and Israel have close ties and Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Israel days before the war broke out on February 28.