Lavrov: Hamas Attack Does Not Justify Israel Punishing Palestinians

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated today, Sunday, that it is unacceptable for Israel to use the attack launched by Hamas on October 7 as a justification for collective punishment of the Palestinian people. He called for international monitoring on the ground in Gaza. Israeli tanks advanced toward the center of Khan Younis today in a significant new incursion into the main city in the southern Gaza Strip. Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly blamed the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement on the failure of American diplomacy in the Middle East over the years, while aiming to position Russia as an important player with relationships with all key actors in the region.