Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the deaths of more than 1,300 Israelis in a wave of attacks launched from Gaza on Oct.7 by Islamist militant group Hamas.
He also told Netanyahu about “the steps Russia is taking to help normalize the situation, prevent further escalation of violence and prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip”.
Putin told Netanyahu on Monday that Moscow wanted to help prevent a humanitarian disaster in Gaza as he waded into the Middle East crisis with a flurry of calls to key regional players.
The Kremlin said Putin expressed Russia’s willingness to work towards “ending the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation and achieving a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means”
While a Russian-drafted U.N. Security Council resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas in Gaza failed to pass on Monday (October 16), while a vote on a rival Brazilian text was delayed until Tuesday (October 17).
The draft resolution received five votes in favor and four votes against, along with six abstentions. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the five permanent members – the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain – to pass.
Russia proposed the one-page draft text on October 13, which also called for the release of hostages, humanitarian aid access, and the safe evacuation of civilians in need. The text condemned violence against civilians and all acts of terrorism, but did not name Hamas, which killed 1,300 people in Israel on Oct. 7.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad also held a telephone conversation during which they discussed the crisis in the Gaza Strip, Russia’s TASS news agency quoted the Syrian leader’s office as saying on Monday.
Both Putin and Assad favoured the immediate delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, it quoted Assad’s office as saying.
(Inputs from Reuters)