Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Does Not Have Military Solution: Moscow
13:58 07.10.2023 (Updated: 14:12 10.10.2023)
© Sputnik . Vitaly Belousov / Go to the mediabankRussian flags installed in Moscow for the Day of the State Flag of Russia (celebrated on August 22). In the background: the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
© Sputnik . Vitaly Belousov
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On Saturday morning, Israel was hit by an unprecedented rocket attack from the Gaza Strip. In addition, dozens of militants have infiltrated border areas in southern Israel. The number of Israelis killed in attacks by militants from the Gaza Strip has reached 22, including one medic, leaving 545 injured.
Russia is expressing it grave concern over the sharp deterioration of the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, stressing that there can be no "military solution" to the crisis that has been dragging on for 75 years, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
"We confirm our principled and consistent position that this conflict, which has been dragging on for 75 years, has no forceful solution and can be resolved exclusively by political and diplomatic means, through the establishment of a full-fledged negotiation process on a well-known international legal basis, providing for the creation of an independent Palestinian state within the 1967 borders with its capital in East Jerusalem, living in peace and security with Israel," the ministry said.
According to the statement, the current large-scale escalation of the situation is "another extremely dangerous manifestation of a vicious circle of violence," which, Moscow believes, is a "direct consequence of the chronic failure to comply with the relevant resolutions of the UN and its Security Council and the actual blocking by the West of the work of the Middle East 'quartet' of international mediators consisting of Russia, the USA, the EU and the UN."
"We call on the Palestinians and Israelis for an immediate ceasefire, renunciation of violence, showing the necessary restraint and establishing, with the assistance of the international community, a negotiation process aimed at establishing a comprehensive, lasting and long-awaited peace in the Middle East," the statement read.
Earlier on Saturday, the military wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement, the Al-Qassam Brigades, has announced an operation against Israel and said it has fired over 5,000 rockets. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced the launch of Operation "Iron Swords" against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Haaretz newspaper reported at least 22 dead, the Times of Israel reported 300 injured.
Hamas claimed to have captured over 35 Israeli soldiers and settlers. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an address to the nation, said that Israel is in a state of war and said that he had ordered a widespread mobilization of reserves. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, at an emergency meeting with a number of officials, emphasized the right of the Palestinian people to self-defense against Israeli troops and settlers.