Attack on Israel ‘unprecedented cruelty’ – Putin

Both sides of the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas have displayed “brutality” and “cruelty” against each other, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said, urging both parties to prioritize thinking “about the civilian population” instead.

Speaking to reporters after a press conference concluding his two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan on Friday, Putin condemned the attack on Israel, calling out the exceptional “cruelty” exhibited by Hamas.

“Israel, of course, faced an unprecedented attack, which has never happened in history, and not only in scale, but also in the nature of its execution, in cruelty – well, what can I say? We must call  things what they are,” he stated.

At the same time, Israel has responded to the attack on a massive scale “with quite brutal methods,” Putin noted, urging both parties to “think about the civilian population” despite “all the bitterness on both sides.”

The Russian president warned against imposing a total blockade on Gaza, calling this approach to the Palestinian enclave “unacceptable.”

“More than two million people live there. Not everyone supports Hamas, by the way, not everyone, yet everyone must suffer, including women and children. Of course, hardly anyone will agree with this,” the president insisted.

Putin reiterated Russia’s stance that the conflict between Israel and Hamas could only be resolved through negotiations, as well as abiding by UN resolutions, namely, creating an independent Palestine. Moscow is ready to mediate in the conflict, taking advantage of its close ties with both the Arab nations and Israel, Putin added.

“Russia can [help] precisely because we have developed very good relations with Israel over the last, say, 15 years, and traditional relations with Palestine. Therefore, no one will suspect us of wanting to play along with someone. But, of course, only if someone needs our mediation. This is always done only based on an agreement between the parties,” he concluded.

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