Russia: The escalation in Gaza was the result of Israeli air strikes
Russian FM spokesperson Maria Zakharova confirms that her country is following with deep concern for the situation in Gaza.
"Moscow is seriously concerned about the new wave of armed violence in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Saturday.
Zakharova said, in a statement, that her country is following the developments "fraught with the renewal of full-scale military confrontation and further deterioration of the already deplorable humanitarian situation in Gaza."
Zakharova further indicated, “The Israeli air force's airstrikes triggered another escalation on August 5, in response to which Palestinian armed militants launched a massive indiscriminate shelling of the Israeli territory,” adding that “According to the latest information, Israeli attacks killed 10 Palestinians and left over 80 wounded."
The FM spokesperson also called on "all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint, prevent the escalation of hostilities, and immediately return to the sustainable ceasefire regime."
Furthermore, Zakharova reiterated Russia's principled and consistent position, "which was reflected in the relevant resolutions of the General Assembly and the United Nations Security Council, in support of a comprehensive and long-term settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in accordance with the principle of two states," as she put it.
Zakharova added that it is not possible to "put an end to the periodic violence except within a negotiations process framework, the result of which should be the achievement of the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people to establish their independent state within the 1967 borders."
On August 5, the Israeli occupation announced the start of a military operation against Islamic Jihad targets in the Strip. The Ministry of Health in Gaza had spoken of "10 martyrs, including a 5-year-old girl", in addition to dozens of wounded.
Al-Quds Brigades, PIJ's military wing, announced the martyrdom of Taiseer Al-Jaabari, a military commander in the northern Gaza Strip.
Shortly thereafter, all of the Palestinian resistance factions issued statements condemning the Israeli occupation's aggression and its assassination of resistance figures and leaders, as well as solidifying the resistance's unity against the Israeli aggressors.
Read more: No de-escalation in Gaza now, ready to continue battle - PIJ official