By Burc Eruygur
ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claimed that Russia is interested in triggering a war in the Middle East to “undermine world unity.”
“According to the available information – a very clear one – Russia is interested in triggering a war in the Middle East so that a new source of pain and suffering could undermine world unity, increase discord and contradictions, and thus help Russia destroy freedom in Europe,” Zelenskyy said in an address late Monday.
Saying that he held a meeting with the heads of Ukraine’s intelligence services and diplomats, Zelenskyy added that the situation surrounding the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas is of “fundamental importance” not only for Ukraine but also for Europe.
“We see Moscow's Iranian friends openly supporting those who attacked Israel. And all of this is a much greater threat than the world currently perceives,” Zelenskyy said.
Arguing that world wars of the past started with local aggressions, he said Ukraine knows how to counter this threat.
“We are preparing appropriate steps. And most importantly, we are defending the need for maximum unity in the world,” he said.
In a statement on Telegram, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova later denied the accusations by Zelenskyy.
The Palestinian Hamas group launched Operation Al-Aqsa Flood against Israel early Saturday, firing a barrage of rockets and infiltrating Israel by land, air, and sea. It said the surprise attack was in response to the storming of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem and increased settler violence against Palestinians.
In retaliation, the Israeli military launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in Gaza has risen to 704, including 143 children and 105 women, the Gaza-based Health Ministry said early Tuesday. It said the number of wounded has risen to around 4,000.
At least 900 Israelis have been killed and over 2,600 others wounded in the fighting, according to the Israeli Health Ministry.