Russia calls US idea to build pier off Gaza 'dances on bones'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russia on Wednesday called US intentions to build a pier off the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid "dances on bones."

Responding to a question by Anadolu at a press briefing in Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova questioned how serious can be initiatives on building infrastructure in a war-torn region.

"These are dances on bones, mocking people, because now, when civilians are dying there every day, we need to talk about their destinies, and not about some illusory future projects that in the first place need peace to be implemented, otherwise we perfectly understand how all this will end.

"When a country does not even want to hear — I am now talking about the United States of America — about even formulating a call for a cease-fire, how can we treat initiatives to build civilian infrastructure where they do not want a cease-fire?" she questioned.

US President Joe Biden on Monday announced plans to set up a temporary pier off Gaza to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians, starving due to Israel's blockade.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

More than 31,272 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 73,024 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Palestinian enclave, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 27 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza as a result of the Israeli blockade.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.