INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Moscow urged Israel to "immediately" pull its troops out of southern Lebanon on Tuesday after the Israeli military began what it said were
"ground raids" against Hezbollah militants in the area.Israel announced the incursion after a week of intense air strikes on Lebanon that
left hundreds dead and sparked international condemnation
and called on the Israeli authorities to "immediately cease hostilities, withdraw their troops from Lebanese territory and engage in a real
search for peaceful ways to resolve the Middle East conflict.""We express our solidarity with the leadership and people of friendly Lebanon,
which has been subjected to armed aggression," the ministry added.Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Israeli's attack on
southern Lebanon risked destabilizing the entire region.Hezbollah later on Tuesday denied Israel's claims that its ground troops had
crossed the border into Lebanon as they launched their offensive.AFP contributed reporting.
