Some 'external forces' trying to use Gaza situation to fuel regional unrest in Middle East: Russia

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that some "external forces" are attempting to fan a fire of regional discord between Middle Eastern states by exploiting the situation in Gaza.

The purpose of such actions is to "weaken countries that pursue an independent foreign policy course," Lavrov said at the Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum in Morocco's capital, Marrakesh.

"Some external forces want to use the current escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to their advantage, to ignite a fire of regional discord," the Russian Foreign Ministry said, quoting the country’s top diplomat.

Russia sees a cease-fire and increased humanitarian efforts in Gaza as top priorities as "violence has taken an unprecedented and truly catastrophic scale," he said.

"The number of dead and injured is in the tens of thousands, most of them civilians in the Gaza Strip, primarily children and women. The suffering of the enclave's population is compounded by the consequences of the Israeli blockade," he said.

According to the minister, Russia is continuing to make efforts to bring the Palestinian-Israeli conflict into a diplomatic channel in coordination with its Arab counterparts.

"Russia's principled position coincides with the line of the Arab countries, which reaffirmed their commitment to resolving the crisis based on a generally recognized international legal framework during the summit of the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Riyadh on November 11," he said.

Lavrov believed that violence in the region would continue until the establishment of a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

He asserted that creating a collective diplomatic mechanism to assist parties would help resolve key issues, including the restoration of Palestinian unity.

The Russian-Arab Cooperation Forum between Russia and the League of Arab States was founded in 2009 to enhance economic cooperation.