Russia can use its position as a permanent member of the UN Security Council to help resolve the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani suggested during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday.
In his speech at the plenary session of Russian Energy Week in Moscow, the Iraqi leader stressed that “the forces of good should unite” and personally appealed to Putin to propose an initiative for a ceasefire and “real” solution to the “Palestinian problem.”
Al-Sudani claimed that the consequences of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are now hard to predict as the Islamic world is “seething” amid the recent escalation.
During the meeting, Putin argued that the conflict in Gaza ultimately stems from the fact that when the state of Israel was created, there was also a promise to establish a sovereign Palestinian state.
“Israel, as we know, was created, but Palestine, as an independent and sovereign state, was never created,” Putin said. He added that over the years, Israel has also occupied parts of historically Palestinian territories, mainly with the use of military force.
According to the Russian president, the Palestinian problem is currently “within the heart” of every person in the Middle East, and everything that has happened over the past several decades is perceived as a “manifestation of injustice raised to some incredible degree.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated in an interview on Wednesday that Russia can and will continue to play a role in settling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and will maintain dialogue and an “equal distance” with both sides.
Previously, Putin stated that the recent escalation in Gaza, which started with a surprise attack on Israeli territory by Hamas militants on Saturday, was ultimately down to failed US policies in the Middle East.
“[The US] tried to monopolize the peace settlement, but unfortunately paid no attention to searching for compromises that would be acceptable for both parties,” the Russian president said. He claimed that Washington had put pressure on both sides in an attempt to impose its own solutions to the issue, without ever taking into account the core interests of the Palestinian people.
Hamas, a Palestinian militant group which controls much of Gaza, launched ‘Operation Al-Aqsa Flood’ on Saturday, firing rockets and sending commandos deep into Israeli territory. The Israel Defense Force (IDF) responded by bombing Gaza and cutting off all of its utilities, as Israel made an official declaration of war.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Israel had recorded at least 1,200 dead and 2,900 injured among its citizens. The Palestinian authorities in Gaza have recorded at least 1,055 dead and over 5,000 wounded since the outbreak of hostilities.