Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the peace plan proposed by US President Donald Trump has failed to halt the recurring cycles of violence in the Gaza Strip.
"We welcomed this plan, as it was primarily focused on a critical first step: ending the bloodshed, resolving the hostage crisis, and exchanging the remains of the deceased," Lavrov stated at the 15th Valdai Discussion Club Middle East Conference. "In that sense, it is certainly a positive development. However, relapses of violence persist, and there is absolutely no clarity regarding the other parts of the proposal."
The foreign minister identified several critical issues that remain unresolved under the current framework. These include the timeline for the total withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza, the practical steps for disarming Hamas, the mechanisms for delivering humanitarian aid, and how the Palestinian National Authority would be integrated into the process in line with UN resolutions for a unified Palestinian state.
Lavrov also questioned the role of the international security forces mentioned in the plan, emphasizing that their specific duties were never clearly defined in the US-drafted resolution presented to the UN Security Council. He recalled that Russia chose to abstain from the vote on that resolution after Washington proceeded with a draft that left these crucial questions unanswered.
"We were forced to abstain," Lavrov explained. "While some believed such a resolution should not be passed without further refinement, we received urgent requests from our Arab partners and Palestinian friends not to block it. Consequently, both Russia and China abstained. However, this has not brought the realization of the plan’s components any closer, and we are reminded daily that additional efforts are required."
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Al Jazeera English/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS