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Lavrov calls on Palestinian movements to re-unite

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
24 Jan 2024 22:01
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Russia has consistently encouraged Palestinian movements to unite under the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and cautions them about the risks associated with division.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov speaks at his annual news conference in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 (AP)

At a press briefing on Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov mentioned the crucial necessity to restore unity among Palestinians.

"It seems absolutely necessary to make an effort to rebuild Palestinian unity for all Palestinian factions and all those who are working with them from abroad for them to get together and announce rebuilding of Palestinian unity as an important foundation for a future Palestinian state," Lavrov said after his visit to New York.

Without achieving Palestinian unity, Lavrov said, the mechanisms currently under discussion will lack viability.

Elsewhere in his comments, he said that proposals between the Palestinian resistance and the Israeli regime for a ceasefire only divert attention from the "essence of the problem," which is the actual need to establish an immediate ceasefire.

"This is a trade that is ongoing and it distracts attention from the essence of the problem," the top diplomat said. "The substance needs to be an immediate ceasefire."

In December, Lavrov informed Sputnik that Russia consistently encourages Palestinian movements to unite under the platform of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and cautions them about the risks associated with division.

He identified the lack of unity among Palestinian movements as a severe hindrance to the Arab-Israeli conflict, noting that Moscow is actively engaged in communicating Palestinian representatives "the danger of division for the prospects of Palestinian statehood."

In recent months, reports have indicated that Palestinians perceive Mahmoud Abbas' administration as increasingly aligning with "Israel's" interests.

As a result of this, the popularity of Palestinian Resistance Hamas has reportedly increased, while support for Abbas has declined.

Some officials in Ramallah express concerns that there might be little left to govern once the Israeli aggression in Gaza concludes.

Lavrov slams US for fueling hostilities

In an interview with CBS on Tuesday, Lavrov underscored that the United States needs to cease hostilities and refrain from vetoing UN ceasefire resolutions to address the crisis in the Middle East.

"Stop the fighting. Don't use veto when a resolution is proposed to declare a humanitarian ceasefire. You used vetoes twice. There is no reaction from the Security Council as regards to demand a ceasefire. And of course, don't drag on like your predecessors did for decades on creating the Palestinian state," Lavrov said.

During sessions held at the UN Security Council last year, the US employed its veto power to block the implementation of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza three times.

The first time was on October 18, 2023, with a Brazil-drafted UN Security Council resolution, the second was on December 8, 2023, with a UAE-drafted resolution, and the third was on December 22, 2023, with Russian-drafted resolution.