Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday described Israeli attacks on Gaza as “collective punishment of the civilian population,” according to AFP.
Lavrov’s statement represents one of Moscow’s strongest criticisms of Israel that has been committing a genocide in Gaza.
The minister also stated that “measures taken by Israel” in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas “constitute collective punishment of the civilian population.”
Therefore, he described what was happening in Gaza “incomprehensible and indescribable.”
Since the beginning of Hamas-Israel War in Gaza in 2023, the Israeli strikes have killed at least 53,500 Palestinians and wounded more than 118,000, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Hamas has recently agreed to US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff’s proposal for a Gaza ceasefire, while an Israeli official has rejected the deal and claimed that it was not Washington’s, according to Reuters.
“The proposal includes the release of 10 living Israeli hostages held by Hamas in two groups in return for a 70-day ceasefire and a partial withdrawal from the Gaza Strip,” the source said.
The deal also involved the release of a number of Palestinian prisoners by Israel, notably hundreds serving lengthy prison terms.
However, an Israeli official dismissed the deal, expressing that no Israeli government could approve such an agreement. He further rejected the confirmation that the deal aligned with Witkoff’s proposal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has recently said that Israel would only agree to a temporary ceasefire in exchange of the release of hostages. Netanyahu also vowed that eradicating Hamas would mark the immediate end of the war.
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