Iran Press/ Europe: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that creating a Palestinian state is the most reliable solution for peace in occupied Palestine and that fighting terrorism alone would not ensure security.
He spoke during a press conference with the head of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who visited Russia after the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas launched a massive surprise attack on Saturday.
Creating a Palestinian state that would live side by side with Israel is the most reliable path to solve the conflict, Lavrov said.
The Russian top diplomat added: “We cannot agree with those who say that security can only be ensured through a fight with terrorism.”
Lavrov said Moscow is deeply concerned that hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians have died and that the Gaza Sector has been declared a target for Israeli retaliation.
Lavrov said Russia, in the middle of its almost 20-month-long Ukraine offensive, had serious questions about Western policy on Israeli regime.
Russia's top diplomat added: "They say that fighting should be stopped immediately, that Israel should destroy the terrorists."
“But this was done before and never after the situation calmed down did they come to the fact that the main reason for the conflict needs to be eliminated,” he said.
The number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli forces in Gaza has risen to 493, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said on Monday amid ongoing fighting.
It also said the number of injured people surged to 2,751. The Interior Ministry in Gaza said the Israeli army has "intensified its aggression" on Gaza with hundreds of raids.
The Gaza-based resistance group Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel early Saturday, firing a barrage of rockets. It said the surprise attack was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Quds and increased settler violence.
In retaliation, the Israeli army launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
At least 700 Israelis have been killed and over 2,300 others wounded in the fighting, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.
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