Russia says it 'recorded' Türkiye's signals on verifying Israel's possession of nuclear weapons

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Moscow has "recorded' Türkiye's signals to initiate the creation of an inspection mechanism to verify Israel's possession of nuclear weapons, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday.

"We have not received any official proposals in this regard so far. Accordingly, it is premature to make any assessments," Zakharova said in response to a question by Anadolu at a news conference in Moscow.

Russia is a "consistent supporter" of turning the Middle East into a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction, and this concept meets the interests of all countries of the region and beyond, she emphasized.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to keep the issue of Israel's nuclear weapons on the global agenda.

Israel maintains a policy of deliberate ambiguity, neither officially denying nor admitting to having nuclear weapons.

Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu had earlier told local media that dropping a "nuclear bomb" on the Gaza Strip was "an option."

Responding to another question by Anadolu on Russia's efforts to achieve a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip, the spokeswoman pledged to "do everything" to "contribute to de-escalation and future stability."

Zakharova urged both sides to "strictly observe" the conditions of the current humanitarian pause as it may lead to further contacts aimed at resolving acute humanitarian issues.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Qatari Foreign Ministry announced that an agreement on a four-day humanitarian pause was achieved between Israel and Hamas.

The Qatar-mediated agreement suggests the announcement of a four-day pause in fighting, the entry of 300 trucks loaded with humanitarian aid, including fuel, into the Gaza Strip, release of 50 Israelis held by Hamas in exchange for 150 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails.

The agreement also allows an extension of the pause and the potential release of more children and women held by the two sides.

Israel launched relentless air and ground attacks in the Gaza Strip following a surprise attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7.

Authorities in Gaza said Wednesday that the death toll from the ongoing Israeli attacks on the besieged enclave since then has risen past 14,500 people, more than half of them women and children.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.