Losses in the event of an Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip are “unacceptable,” Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at the summit of heads of state of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
The president called the escalation of the conflict a “massive tragedy” for Palestinians and Israelis. “What happened, the massive tragedy that Israelis and Palestinians are now experiencing, is a direct result of failed U.S. policy in the Middle East,” he said.
According to the Russian leader, Washington “tried to monopolize the solution of the problems in the Middle East with the support of its European satellites, but did not bother to find compromises acceptable to both sides and, of course, never took into account the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people”.
“The unbalanced line of the United States over the years has made the situation increasingly stale,” he claimed.
Regarding the likelihood of an Israeli ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Putin noted that “the use of heavy equipment in residential areas is a complicated matter that has serious consequences for all parties.” However, “without teams in the same residential areas, it is even more difficult to carry out such operations.”
“And above all, civilian casualties will be absolutely unacceptable given that almost two million people live there,” the president warned.
Putin emphasized that it was now “important to stop the bloodshed” and that “Russia is ready to coordinate measures with all partners to resolve the conflict.”