Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov emphasized that Russia considers the immediate cessation of bloodshed and the resolution of humanitarian issues as the top priority in the Gaza Strip. He made this statement during the plenary session of the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum.
"Our meeting is taking place in the midst of an unprecedented escalation in the Middle East and ongoing global turbulence. The increasingly complex nature of emerging challenges and threats underscores the need for a collective approach to addressing the tasks of strengthening peace and security in the region, ensuring its sustainable development," the Minister stated. "Following the terrorist attack on October 7, which we unequivocally condemned, the situation in the oldest hotspot in this part of the world—the zone of Palestinian-Israeli confrontation—has sharply deteriorated. This time, the violence we witness on a daily basis has reached an unprecedented and truly catastrophic scale. The toll of the dead and wounded has risen into the tens of thousands, with the majority being civilians in the Gaza Strip, particularly children and women," he added.
"The suffering of the enclave's population is compounded by the consequences of the blockade imposed by Israel. Our primary task is to halt the bloodshed and ensure conditions for providing necessary humanitarian assistance to all those in need," Lavrov emphasized.
He further noted that Russia has made numerous attempts, in collaboration with like-minded nations, to secure the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a sustainable ceasefire. However, these efforts face significant opposition from the United States, which consistently adopts a one-sided position and seeks to dominate any processes and initiatives, as Lavrov explained.
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Photo: Russian Foreign Ministry
Based on materials from TASS