UPDATE - Russia's Lavrov urges Palestinians to reunite in face of tragedy in Gaza

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS BY RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER, ADDS DETAILS

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday called on the different Palestinian factions to reunite in the face of the tragedy in Gaza, where Israeli attacks have killed more than 30,000 people, and for achieving the ultimate goal -- establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Speaking at a meeting with representatives of Palestinian political forces in Moscow, Lavrov said the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is because of the absence of a Palestinian state.

"Undoubtedly, the main priority is to stop the bloodshed ... the recurrence of large-scale confrontation and outbreaks of violence in the region will inevitably be repeated until, through joint efforts, we can eliminate the underlying cause of this long-term conflict. Namely, to solve the problem of creating a Palestinian state," he stressed.

Lavrov quoted Jesus Christ, equally respected by Christians and Muslims, saying: "A house divided by itself will not stand."

The Russian foreign minister stressed that the future of Palestine depends on whether Palestinian political forces will be able to put the interests, goals and fate of the Palestinian people above the current nuances and discrepancies in positions and approaches.

He said the absence of a united Palestinian political force hindered the launch of talks with Israel because "skeptics argued that it was impossible to negotiate when it was not known who was speaking on behalf of the Palestinians."

"If you announce such a step – the restoration of Palestinian unity on the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization, it will knock the trumps out of the hands of those forces that, referring to internal problems in the Palestinian territories, used them to delay the Middle East settlement process," he said.

The minister warned there are "forces" that are using the tragedy in Gaza to sow more discord in the Palestinian ranks.

"I hope that our efforts to hold such [intra-Palestinian] meetings and provide you with a platform for dialogue will help you move in this direction [of unity]," he said.

Lavrov pointed out that while Palestinians continue arguing between themselves, the situation is getting worse, and the Israeli military operation in the West Bank of the Jordan River is becoming "no less serious and brutal than in Gaza."

Commenting on the government reshuffle carried out by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lavrov said he hopes changes will contribute to the intensification of the inter-Palestinian dialogue.

"We wish the Palestinians and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas success in forming a new Cabinet. We hope that it will reflect the tendency to overcome differences and consist of people representing the interests of the entire Palestinian people, all its constituent parts," he said. Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh announced the resignation of his government earlier this week.

Representatives of Palestinian political forces have gathered in the Russian capital Moscow, and consultations are expected to last till Saturday.

Israel started its war on Gaza after the Oct. 7, 2023 cross-border incursion by Hamas. It has since killed more than 30,000 Palestinians and pushed the territory to the brink of famine.

Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip, and Fatah, the party that dominates the Palestinian Authority, which in part administers the occupied West Bank, are the two largest Palestinian factions.

Some states have floated the idea of a technocratic government for Palestinians, a step in efforts to make progress towards talks on a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it is unclear how things could move forward until Hamas and Fatah work out their long-running differences.

It has also been suggested that the Palestinian Authority govern Gaza after the war ends.​