First of all, Lavrov noted that the only sure way to stop the bloodshed is the creation of a Palestinian state.
“The creation of the state of Palestine is the only way to solve this problem for many years, in a sustainable way. Moreover, it is the creation of the state of Palestine, as it was conceived in the Security Council resolution, the 1967 borders.”– he said.
According to the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, the United States for a long time prevented the adoption of the relevant resolution.
“Instead of working within the quartet of mediators Russia, the USA, the EU, the UN, they tried to monopolize the peace process, then replace all the principles on which this process should be built”Lavrov explained.
He also noted that the United States currently understands that Israel’s response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which Russia strongly condemned, is “absolutely disproportionate” and represents collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
Lavrov emphasized that since the beginning of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, about 35 thousand Palestinians have died, more than half of them are women and children. The Foreign Minister indicated that almost 80 thousand civilians were injured.
“Let me remind you that this is five months, from the beginning of this situation, five months. This is already more than all the civilian casualties on both sides in Donbass, and now in Ukraine from 2014 to the present.”said Lavrov.
He added that when Russian diplomats mention these figures to their colleagues from the OSCE and the UN, they do not receive the proper reaction.
“They cowardly look away, there is amazing duplicity and double standards, so now, of course, the main thing is to stop the bloodshed.”“, concluded the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Let us recall that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, related to the territorial interests of the parties, has been a source of tension in the region for decades. The UN decision in 1947 determined the creation of two states – Israel and Palestine, but only the Israeli one was created.
At the end of February, Deputy Speaker of the Israeli Parliament, MP Yevgeny Sova, said in a conversation with “Izvestia“that the Israel Our Home party in the Israeli Knesset opposes the creation of a Palestinian state and intends to strictly adhere to its position.
The full version of the interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will be published on the website “Izvestia” March 29 at 00:01.
