MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Russia condemned the Israeli offensive in Lebanon as it called on the Jewish state to immediately stop hostilities and withdraw troops from the Arab republic.

"Russia condemns the [Israeli] attack on Lebanon and calls on Israel to immediately stop hostilities, withdraw troops from Lebanese soil and start looking for ways toward resolving the Middle East conflict," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"We express solidarity with the leadership and people of the friendly Lebanese nation targeted by [Israel] aggression. And we offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed," the Russian diplomatic agency stressed.

Israel has been delivering massive airstrikes on Hezbollah military targets since it launched Operation Northern Arrows in Lebanon on September 23. The Shia movement’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Beirut on September 27. Last night, the Israeli army launched a limited ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon.