‘Unprecedented’ outbreak of violence in Middle East result of US policy – Moscow

The bloodshed in Gaza would have ended had Washington stopped sending arms to Israel, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said

The ongoing conflict between Israel and the Gaza-based Hamas militant group, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives, is the result of US policy in the region, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at the UN Security Council on Wednesday.

“New geopolitical experiments” by Washington and its allies only exacerbate the situation in the region, which has already suffered from the Western colonial mandate, Lavrov stated.

Washington continues to provide diplomatic cover, as well as arms and ammunition to West Jerusalem ten months into the conflict, the foreign minister said, adding that the standoff between Israel and Hamas has already claimed the lives of 40,000 Palestinian civilians and left 90,000 injured. The conflict has cost more lives in ten months then the entire Ukraine crisis over ten years since the 2014 Maidan coup in Kiev, he added.

The war in Gaza has also led to the deaths of almost 300 UN personnel and other humanitarian organization members, Lavrov stated, calling it the highest number in this regard in history.

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“If the US were to end its support [for Israel], the bloodshed would stop,” he said. “But the US is either unwilling or unable to do so.”

The situation shows that Washington is more concerned about scoring points ahead of the presidential election in November than saving lives, according to the foreign minister.

Washington has also blocked all calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at the UN level and has demanded that the UN Security Council stop its work on the issue, Lavrov said.
Russia supports an immediate sustainable ceasefire that would enable the release of 120 Israeli hostages, as well as 9,500 Palestinians who were subjected to arbitrary arrests since October 7, 2023, the foreign minister said.

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Moscow also calls for secure humanitarian access to everyone in need of assistance. These measures, along with a halt to the “illegal settlement activities” of Israel in the West Back, would create the necessary conditions for resuming peace talks between Israel and Palestine, he added.

Moscow is also aware of “behind-the-scenes contacts” aimed at defining the future of Gaza and the Palestinian state without the participation of the Palestinian authorities and people. These actions are unacceptable, Lavrov said, adding that there should be “no word about Palestine without Palestine.”

“The Middle Eastern region is facing unprecedented risks for security and the well-being of its peoples” due to the conflict in Gaza, which threatens to spread beyond Israel and Palestine, the foreign minister said.

The conflict in Gaza broke out after a surprise attack by Hamas on nearby Israeli settlements in October 2023, in which around 1,200 people were killed and 200 people were taken hostage by the militants. West Jerusalem responded with a massive bombing campaign followed by a ground operation in Gaza, which is still ongoing.