Moscow advocates de-escalation of tension and setting up a negotiation process between Israel and Palestine over the situation in Jenin, reads a statement issued by the Russian MFA on Tuesday following a telephone conversation between Russian Presidential Special Envoy to the Middle East and African countries Mikhail Bogdanov and Hamas Politburo member Mousa Abu Marzook.
It is noted that the sides discussed the situation in the Palestinian territories over the abrupt escalation of the situation around the West Bank city of Jenin as a result of the Israeli military operation. "The Russian side reaffirmed its principled position in favor of de-escalation of tension, as well as establishment of a negotiation process in the interests of a fair settlement of the Palestinian problem on the known international legal basis," the report said.
"Meanwhile, [the sides] expressed their readiness to further work energetically in order to achieve this goal, including by intensifying the collective efforts of Russia, the Arab League and the group of regional states involved in the Middle East settlement dossier," the Russian diplomatic office added.
The Russian MFA also noted that during the negotiations the sides focused on the task of restoring Palestinian national unity on the basis of the political program of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Smolenskaya Square specified that the telephone conversation was held at the initiative of the Palestinian side.
On Monday night the Israeli forces began a large-scale operation in Jenin and the adjacent Palestinian refugee camp. During the raid, the military discovered and seized an improvised rocket launcher and carried out repeated airstrikes against terrorist targets and armed militants, the army press office said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday night that the massive operation by Israeli security forces to counter terrorism in Jenin will last as long as it takes to restore security of Israeli citizens.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS