Putin: US attempts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have failed

The escalation between Israel and Hamas, which has already led to the death of thousands of people, is the result of America wanting to decide the fate of the conflict between Israel and Palestine alone, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday at an extraordinary online summit of the BRICS countries.

According to the Russian leader, the United States has sidelined other members of the Middle East Quartet – the group trying to steer the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which includes Russia, the UN and the EU. Instead, Washington sought to “monopolize the mediation role” while blocking the efforts of other international actors, he added.

“History has vividly demonstrated that attempts to single-handedly cut the Palestinian knot are not viable and counterproductive” Putin said.

UN resolutions calling for the creation of two independent, sovereign states – Israel and Palestine – were ultimately sabotaged said the Russian president at the conference.

This led to a situation in which generations of Palestinians grew up … in an atmosphere of injustice, while the Israelis could not fully guarantee the security of their state, he added.

The current conflict in Gaza has already led to the death of thousands of people, the mass exodus of civilians from the enclave and a humanitarian disaster, said Putin, who called these developments cause for “deepest concern”.

Russia urges the international community to unite to achieve a rapid de-escalation and ceasefire in Gaza, as well as a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the president said, adding that the BRICS countries and regional actors could play a leading role in this process. .

The ongoing escalation began with a surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants. The attack killed about 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and took more than 200 hostages. West Jerusalem responded with a massive bombardment, followed by a ground operation that local authorities say has killed more than 13,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Moscow condemned the Hamas attack but called for an immediate ceasefire and criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying West Jerusalem had no legitimate authority to operate in the enclave, where it is an “occupying power”.

Earlier this week, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the violence could only be ended within the framework of a UN-backed two-state solution, which would require a real effort from all sides.