Lavrov: ‘Israel’s Gaza actions delay prospect of long-term peace in Middle East’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov asserted on Friday that Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip: “Delay the prospect of sustainable long-term peace in the Middle East.”

His statement was made during a news conference following his participation in a meeting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers in the Kazakh city of Almaty.

Lavrov added that Moscow cannot accept the methods the Israeli troops are employing in their military operation in the Gaza Strip, noting that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is “tragic”.

“In reality, the destruction of civilians is happening, and most importantly, if we abstract from today’s humanitarian tragedy, the most important thing is that these (Israeli) actions further delay the prospect of sustainable long-term peace in the Middle East through the creation of a Palestinian state in full accordance with UN decisions,” Lavrov expressed.

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