Russia, Syrian regime discuss situation in Gaza at meeting in Moscow

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) — The foreign ministers of Russia and Syria's Bashar al-Assad regime on Thursday discussed the situation in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on Israel's ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Sergey Lavrov and Faysal al-Mikdad highlighted the urgent need for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement following the closed-door meeting in Moscow.

The two diplomats also spoke about the need to resolve the dire humanitarian situation faced by Gaza's population.

"They also stressed the inadmissibility of aggressive and provocative actions leading to the expansion of military confrontation to other countries in the region, in particular, Syria, Lebanon, and Yemen," the statement said.

Lavrov and Mikdad pointed out the relevance of multilateral efforts for a lasting and comprehensive settlement in the Middle East on the basis of existing international legal arrangements.

They also spoke about the situation in Syria and bilateral cooperation.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, which Tel Aviv says killed nearly 1,200 people.

At least 24,448 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and 61,504 others injured, according to local health authorities.

According to the UN, around 85% of Gazans have been displaced by the Israeli onslaught, while all of them are food insecure. Hundreds of thousands of people are living without shelter, and ⁠aid trucks entering the territory are less than half the number before the start of the conflict.