UPDATE - Russia condemns strike on Greek Orthodox Church in Gaza Strip

UPDATES WITH MORE DETAILS, EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) – Russia on Friday condemned a strike on a Greek Orthodox church in the Gaza Strip, which was sheltering displaced people.

"We categorically reject the indiscriminate use of force, we categorically reject strikes from whichever side they are carried out on civilian objects, naturally, we condemn and proceed from the fact that this issue will be investigated accordingly," Foreign Ministry's deputy spokesman Alexey Zaytsev said in response to Anadolu's question at a news conference in Moscow.

The official also "categorically" condemned any attacks on civilian infrastructure.

The Gaza Health Ministry said at least 16 Palestinian Christians were among those killed in Israeli attack on the church Thursday evening.

- Russia's withdrawal from nuclear test ban treaty

Asked about Russia's plan to revoke the ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), Zaytsev said Russia considers "unacceptable the imbalance in positions" with the US in the current geopolitical situation.

"The US has evaded treaty ratification for 25 years, but this status quo cannot last, Russia's withdrawal from the CTBT ratification aims to address this disparity."

About the possibility of conducting nuclear tests, Zaytsev said the agreement has not entered into force, and until this happens, its provisions are not legally binding.

At the moment, he added, Russia upholds the 1992 presidential decree's moratorium on nuclear tests, which remains in effect.

As for the consequences, the official doubted a change in the US stance on CTBT ratification even after Russia reverts its approval. "Americans are satisfied with the current state of affairs; even without ratification the US enjoys all the advantages of the states that signed the treaty, in particular, they have access to the data of its verification mechanism."

"It is extremely difficult to change this position, but we need to work on it," he said.

- Military build-up contradicts goals of Israel-Palestine settlement

Zaytsev told Anadolu that the sides, directly or indirectly involved in the current confrontation around the Gaza Strip, "make provocative statements" which could expand the armed confrontation to neighboring countries and even to the entire region.

"We do not believe that this contributes to improve the situation and achieve peace," he stressed.

The diplomat criticized the build-up of foreign military presence in the armed conflict zone as a factor that inevitably rises risks of further escalation.

Russia supports a political and diplomatic solution for the Middle East conflict through Palestinian-Israeli negotiations, with the goal to establish an independent Palestinian state based on international law, he said.

The US has deployed two aircraft carriers -- and their supporting ships -- to the eastern Mediterranean, saying they are meant to ensure the conflict does not expand.