In a recent development, Russian President Vladimir Putin reached out to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, offering his assistance to avert a looming humanitarian crisis.
The Russian leader also shared insights from his recent discussions with other regional heads of state.
The call came in the wake of a devastating attack on Israel by Hamas-led terrorists on October 7, which resulted in the tragic loss of over 1,300 Israeli lives. Putin extended his condolences to Netanyahu for the significant loss of life.
As reported by Reuters, the Kremlin stated that Putin expressed his readiness to contribute towards "ending the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation and achieving a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means."
However, the Russian summary of the call did not mention any reference to a ceasefire, a resolution for which Russia has proposed to the United Nations Security Council.
During the conversation, Putin also informed Netanyahu about his recent discussions with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
The Kremlin reported that these conversations unanimously underscored the necessity for an immediate ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian truce to provide urgent assistance to those in need. The leaders also expressed grave concern about the potential escalation of the conflict into a regional war.
Following the call, Netanyahu's office released a statement. "Israeli PM Netanyahu spoke this evening with Russian President Vladimir Putin," the translated statement read. "The PM clarified that Israel was attacked by despicable and cruel murderers, and went into a war determined, and united, and will not stop until it will destroy Hamas military and governmental capabilities."
Russia has consistently attributed the recent violence in the Middle East to the failed policies of the United States. Russia enjoys a warm relationship with Iran, which views the United States as the "Great Satan" and Israel as the "Little Satan."
Iran has provided drones and other support for Russia's war in Ukraine, and also backs Hamas financially and with training and other support. Iran has openly applauded the recent attacks on Israel.
Last week, Putin publicly stated that Israel had the right to defend itself against Hamas. However, he warned that a ground offensive in Gaza would result in an "absolutely unacceptable" number of civilian casualties.
During a conversation between Putin and Raisi, Iranian state media reported that the Iranian President emphasized that supporting Palestinians was a priority in Irans foreign policy, although "resistance" groups were responsible for their own decisions.
"There is a possibility of the conflict between Israel and Palestinians expanding to other fronts," Raisi said, as reported by Iranian state media.
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