Russian FM summons Israeli ambassador over attack on RT journalists

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Israeli Ambassador Oded Joseph on Friday in connection with the attack on the Russian RT channel's journalists in Lebanon.

When approached by journalists before entering the Foreign Ministry building in Moscow, the diplomat refused to answer questions, saying that he "did not want to be late for the meeting."

On Thursday, members of an RT crew, who were on an editorial assignment in southern Lebanon, were wounded as a result of an Israeli airstrike.

Correspondent Steve Sweeney and his cameraman, Ali Rida Sbeity, were injured in the attack, and the Russian Foreign Ministry later stated that the Israeli ambassador would be updated on Russia's assessment of the journalists' strike.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described the attack as "targeted," noting that it was carried out on unarmed civilians, who are protected by international humanitarian law as journalists.

She emphasized that the journalists were wearing waste jackets with easily distinguishable "press" markings, carrying only cameras and microphones, and that the strike occurred in an area with no military facilities.