Russian diplomat chief Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday called on the United Nations to convene an international conference to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, seeing this as the only possible way to resolve the crisis “forever.”
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“The only possible way to resolve this issue forever and fairly is to organize an international conference with the mandatory participation of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Gulf Cooperation Council . “ Mr. Lavrov told the press after an intervention before Russian senators.
According to him, the UN must play “the key role”.
“I assume that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is capable of taking such an initiative,” Lavrov argued.
He reiterated the Russian position, namely support for the creation of a Palestinian state “solemnly promised” in 1948, and stressed that “perpetuation of injustice against the Palestinian people (…) fuels strong terrorist and extremist sentiments” in the region.
These comments by Mr Lavrov come as the UN General Assembly on Tuesday called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, which it said has become “hell on earth” due to the bombings, incessant Israeli attacks and even worse humanitarian conditions terrible every day.
Since the war between Hamas and Israel began on October 7 in the Gaza Strip, Russia has been critical of the Jewish state, with President Vladimir Putin denouncing a humanitarian “catastrophe.”
Russia maintains friendly relations with Hamas and does not consider the group a “terrorist” organization, unlike Israel, the United States and the European Union.
It also maintained good relations with Israel, where there is a large Russian-speaking community, although those relations have been cool since the start of the conflict.