Israel's ambassador to Russia, Oded Yosef, was summoned for a reprimand meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Moscow following an Israeli strike in southern Lebanon that injured two Russian RT network journalists.
The incident occurred on Thursday when RT correspondent Steve Sweeney and cameraman Ali Reida were hurt in an Israeli attack while filming in the region.
According to a statement from RT, an Israeli Air Force jet fired a rocket at the journalists' car as they were crossing a bridge near a military base. Reida claimed that Israeli forces "deliberately attacked" the crew despite the fact that they were wearing vests marked with press credentials.
The dramatic incident was captured on camera. Sweeney, who was in the middle of a report about rockets fired at Nahariya, appeared surprised when he suddenly heard a shell approaching. He ducked forward just as a massive explosion occurred just meters from where he and his cameraman were standing. Dirt and debris were seen flying as Sweeney could be heard cursing in shock.
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, condemned the incident, stating that targeting journalists wearing press markings "cannot be considered accidental, especially given the killing of two hundred journalists in Gaza." RT confirmed that both Sweeney and Reida were conscious and receiving medical treatment at a hospital, with shrapnel having hit their limbs during the explosion.
Israel reacted strongly to the criticism from Russia. The Israeli Foreign Ministry responded by criticizing Russia for its support of Iran and its failure to condemn Hezbollah and Iranian attacks on Israeli civilians.
In a statement, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said: "Israel’s ambassador to Russia, Oded Yosef, met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and noted that advance warning had been given regarding IDF activity in the area of the incident at the Qasmiya crossing on the Litani River. The ambassador stressed that any attempt to portray the incident as a deliberate action against journalists is absurd and far from reality."
Furthermore, the statement added that the ambassador criticized Russia’s one-sided conduct during the operation, highlighting Russia's support for Iran and the absence of condemnation of deliberate fire by the Iranian regime and Hezbollah towards civilian concentrations in Israel.
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)