Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a statement reported by AFP on Tuesday, has criticized Washington’s Middle East policy, using the Israel-Palestine conflict as an example of its shortcomings.
While meeting with Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Moscow, Putin emphasized the importance of establishing an independent sovereign Palestinian state.
He argued that the United States had attempted to monopolize conflict regulation without adequately seeking compromises acceptable to both sides, as reported by AFP.
Putin also noted that the West had overlooked the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov had previously asserted that creating a Palestinian state represented the most dependable path to achieving peace in Israel.
The Kremlin mentioned that preparations for a visit by Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to Moscow were underway, although no specific date was provided.
Moscow expressed concerns about the potential involvement of foreign players in the conflict, particularly after the United States moved warships closer to its ally, Israel.
The backdrop to these actions is the conflict between Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian soldiers from Hamas group.
Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Saturday, launching a barrage of rockets in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and escalating settler violence. In retaliation, the Israeli army initiated Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
As a result of the conflict, the Gaza-based Health Ministry reported that the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza had reached 704, including 143 children and 105 women.
The number of wounded individuals had risen to around 4,000. On the Israeli side, the Israeli Health Ministry reported that at least 900 Israelis had been killed, and over 2,600 others had been wounded in the fighting.
In the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, numerous reports and international organizations have accused Israeli forces of committing alleged war crimes and violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories.
These accusations include claims of indiscriminate attacks that have resulted in civilian casualties, the use of excessive force against protesters, and the destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Concerns have been raised about the impact of these actions on Palestinian civilians, particularly in Gaza, where high civilian casualties have occurred during military operations.
These brutal actions have sparked international condemnation and calls for investigations into possible violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
