By Mahmut Geldi
ISTANBUL (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Sunday that it is “unacceptable” for Israel to use the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas as a pretext for the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Addressing the 21st Doha Forum in Qatar, he called for an international observation mission for the Gaza Strip.
He suggested that Hamas's attack on Israel was not unfounded, highlighting that it followed years of blockade and unfulfilled promises for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Lavrov discussed the need for international monitors in Gaza with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and emphasized the importance of applying international pressure for a humanitarian cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.
Israel resumed its military offensive on the Gaza Strip on Dec. 1 after the end of a weeklong humanitarian pause with the Palestinian group Hamas.
Nearly 18,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 49,229 others injured in relentless air and ground attacks on the enclave since Oct. 7 following a cross-border attack by Hamas.
The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stood at 1,200, according to official figures.