Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced his concern on Monday regarding the “catastrophic increase” in civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and the potential escalation of the conflict between Hamas and Israel into a “regional war.”
The Kremlin reported that Putin expressed “deep concern about the broad-scale escalation of hostilities, accompanied by a catastrophic increase in civilian casualties and a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip” during phone conversations with his Egyptian, Palestinian, Syrian, and Iranian counterparts.
Putin discussed the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with these leaders, emphasizing that any form of violence against civilians is unacceptable.
He reiterated that violence against civilians during the conflict is unacceptable, stating, “Vladimir Putin underscored the unacceptability of any form of violence against civilians.”
The Kremlin further mentioned that the discussions addressed the “grave concern over the possibility of the conflict deteriorating and turning into a regional war.”
Putin reaffirmed Russia’s commitment to coordinate with all “positive partners” to halt the fighting between Palestinians and Israelis.
In a related context, Putin discussed the conflict with Hamas during his first-ever conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and informed him about the substance of his consultations with several regional leaders.
The Kremlin stated, “The Israeli side was also informed of the main points of the telephone conversations held today with the leaders of Palestine, Egypt, Iran, and Syria.”
Putin assured Netanyahu that Russia is ready to assist in restoring the situation to normalcy and preventing further escalation of violence, thereby averting a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
The international community closely monitors the developments in the region as diplomatic efforts continue to seek a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and prevent further suffering and loss of life among civilians in Gaza.
