Russia calls for immediate cessation of Israeli military actions in Gaza

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russia calls for the immediate cessation of the Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Speaking at a news conference in the western Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, which was live-streamed on the Foreign Ministry's website, Lavrov said the next step after the cease-fire should be talks on establishing a Palestinian state.

"We believe the (Israeli military) operation must be stopped immediately, a cease-fire must be ensured, and urgent humanitarian issues must be addressed. Then, without delay, we must move toward resolving the regional problem based on the creation of two states – Israel and Palestine," he emphasized.

Lavrov criticized Israeli troops for their "hostage liberation operation" in the Nuseirat refugee camp in Gaza, emphasizing, "It is unacceptable to sacrifice hundreds and hundreds of innocent people to save others."

Russia's position on the Palestinian issue remains unchanged; it calls for an immediate and indefinite cease-fire, the release of all hostages and Palestinian detainees in Israel, the resolution of urgent humanitarian issues, and the resumption of negotiations on establishing a Palestinian state, he said.

When asked about the Russian-Ukrainian settlement, Lavrov cited two obstacles to a diplomatic resolution: Kyiv's ban on peace talks with Moscow and the West's refusal to acknowledge the "Nazi" nature of Ukraine's current government, which has made Russophobia central to its policy.

"We had some non-public contacts (with the West). No one in the West wants to acknowledge the Nazi, Russophobic effect of the regime. ... The West directly supports this (Nazi) nature of the Ukrainian state to use the Kyiv regime against Russia," he said.

According to the top diplomat, the West's goal is akin to that of Adolf Hitler and Napoleon: to unite Europe to defeat the Russian people and state.

He urged all countries to take into account these crucial points when proposing peace initiatives for Ukraine.

Lavrov also addressed the Russian-Iranian Comprehensive Cooperation Agreement, noting that while the text has been fully agreed upon, Iran needs to complete several legislative steps before submitting it for presidential approval.

"These actions have not been completed yet," he noted.

The agreement aims "to elevate Russia-Iran relations to a qualitatively new level," Lavrov said, asserting, "We will achieve this once the procedural issues are resolved on the Iranian side.”