UNITED NATIONS, October 21. /TASS/. United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, which regulates the situation on the Israeli-Lebanese border, is immutable and cannot be replaced by any new documents, Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said in an interview with TASS.

UN Security Council resolution 1701 was adopted in 2006 and halted the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah.

"We insist that UNSC resolution 1701 has an immutable nature. It cannot be replaced by any new document; it is only necessary to fully implement its provisions, as has generally been done for nearly two decades. It clearly outlines Israel’s commitments to refrain from any offensive operations and withdraw its armed forces from the Lebanese-Israeli border. It is also inadmissible to jeopardize UN peacekeepers deployed along the Blue Line in conformity with resolution 1701. Regrettably, we see the opposite," he said.

The Russian diplomat slammed "Israel’s aggressive action against the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)" as inadmissible, citing instances when Tel Aviv demands they "withdraw from their positions to be redeployed further north and opens fire at them when they refuse to do so."

"West Jerusalem’s practice of politically-motivated killings of its opponents is absolutely unacceptable," Nebenzya stressed.

Israel has been delivering massive airstrikes on Hezbollah military targets in Lebanon since September 23, when it launched Operation Northern Arrows. Israel’s declared goal is to create safe conditions in the country’s northern areas so that tens of thousands of local residents could return to their homes. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly killed in Israel’s strike on Beirut on September 27. In the early hours of October 1, Israel announced the launch of a ground operation in Lebanon’s border areas.