Amid the latest deadly violence in the Middle East, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for all powers not to lose sight of the needs of non-combatants, who form the vast majority of people involved.
Speaking to the media in Moscow on Friday after returning from a trip to Kyrgyzstan, Putin said of the conflict in Israel and the Gaza Strip: "Of course, we understand the logic of events, but despite all the escalation on both sides, I still think that, of course, we need to think about the civilian population.”
The Russian leader noted that Israel has faced an unprecedented attack over the weekend, when Hamas militants broke through the Gaza border fence and killed hundreds of Israeli civilians in nearby settlements, but said that the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), which have bombed Gaza continuously for six days, had acted brutally.
"Not all people [in the Gaza Strip] support Hamas, by the way. Not all of them. Should everyone suffer? Including women and children? Well, surely, hardly anyone will agree with this," Putin said.
He added that the Palestinian people have a right to expect the creation of an independent Palestinian state, based on past promises made going back to the 1994 Oslo Accords.
Putin also said that like other states with citizens in Israel or Gaza, Russia was ready to help its citizens evacuate when appropriate.
"We are ready at any time when there are the right conditions for this. There are bombings every day," he said.
Russia Ready to Mediate
A day prior, while in Bishkek at a meeting of the CIS Council of Heads of State, Putin urged that Moscow was ready to help mediate in the Israel-Palestine conflict.
"Collective efforts are more than needed in the interests of an early ceasefire and stabilization of the situation on the ground,” he said. “I would like to emphasize that Russia is ready to coordinate with all constructively minded partners. We proceed from the belief that there is no alternative to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through negotiations.”
“The most important thing is that civilian casualties will be absolutely unacceptable ... The main thing now is to stop the bloodshed," he added.
His comments come after the United States, Israel’s closest ally and a partner with the Palestinian government in the ongoing peace process, gave its unconditional support to the Israeli government in responding to the attacks by Hamas.
Also on Friday, the Palestinian ambassador to Moscow, Abdel Hafiz Nofal, said that the international community needed to revive the Middle East Quartet, a group that includes Russia, the US, the United Nations, and the European Union, which has helped mediate peace efforts between Israel and the Palestinians for decades. He added that Russia and China could play an important role in the process.
2 Million Under ‘Complete Siege’
Israel seized control over the Gaza Strip from Egypt in the 1967 Six-Day War, ruling it as a non-self-governing territory until 2006. After the Second Palestinian Intifada, or national uprising, Israel agreed to withdraw all troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005, and the first elections were held there, which were won by Hamas, an Islamist militant group that has pledged to destroy the Zionist state.
Following Hamas’ breach of the border fence on Saturday and assault on nearby Israeli settlements, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced “a complete siege” of Gaza, cutting off all electricity, fuel, food and water to the enclave. On Friday, Israel ordered 1.1 million Palestinians living in northern Gaza - half the territory’s population - to leave within 24 hours as it prepares to launch a ground assault against Hamas bases in the area.