US, 'Israel' driving 'entire Middle East' into catastrophe: Lavrov
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Russia does not see any possibility for a quick stabilization in Gaza, especially since "Israel" plans to extend its invasion.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attends a meeting with Gambia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamadou Tangara in Moscow, Russia, January 30, 2024. (AP)
At the 13th annual Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed on Tuesday that Russia does not see any possibility for a quick stabilization in Gaza, especially since "Israel" plans to extend its invasion.
The event titled “Time for decisive action: A comprehensive settlement for the sake of stability in the region” is supported by the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
"Taking into account the uncompromising attitude of the Israeli leadership to continue the military operation in Gaza, now extending it to Rafah, we do not see prospects for the rapid stabilization of the situation in this sector," Lavrov stressed.
🇷🇺 Key-points from Russian FM Sergey Lavrov's speech at the 13th Middle East Conference of the Valdai Discussion Club:
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) February 13, 2024
▪️US is pushing Israel and Palestine into catastrophe;
▪️Russia proposes holding an inter-Palestinian meeting to overcome internal divisions;
▪️Moscow sees no… pic.twitter.com/X76QmcOXeD
He urged to search for a solution to put an end to the disasters, saying that it is the US that is "pushing Palestine, Israel and the entire Middle East into a catastrophe" and that the US plans on marginalizing Russia from international efforts for a Middle East crisis settlement because it is working on its own plans in the region.
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This follows a bloody series of bombings against Rafah carried out by the IOF within the last 2 days. Al Mayadeen's correspondent reported Monday that Israeli occupation forces committed a major massacre in Rafah two days ago, with most of the victims being children and women.
Last month, Russia and the United Arab Emirates discussed coordinated efforts to resolve the war on Gaza by creating an independent Palestine and establishing a political solution to the regional crises in Yemen, Syria, and Lebanon.
'Divorced from reality'
"The Americans have chosen to bet on their dominance in the region and already work on excluding Russia from various international efforts aimed at creating conditions for lasting peace and stability," he said. To paint a picture, he recalled how the US effectively "blocked the work of international mediators on the Middle East settlement, consisting of Russia, the US, the UN and the EU."
The US applies "its recipes that are divorced from reality and one-sided solutions that ignore the specifics of either countries or the region as a whole."
According to Lavrov, an inter-Palestinian meeting in the "foreseeable future" is intended to be held by Russia with the support of Palestinians.
"We propose holding an inter-Palestinian meeting with the participation of all leading factions to overcome the internal division," the minister said, as he reiterated Russia's long-standing position for regional countries to support the creation of a Palestinian state.
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On a separate but related note, he concluded: "We continue to work on the evacuation of citizens of Russia, Israel and other countries from the combat zone. We cooperate with Egypt, Israel, and the Palestinians from Gaza. We have evacuated about 1,200 of our compatriots and their families, including citizens of other countries... We keep pursuing these efforts".
The death toll in the war, which has now exceeded 28,000 martyrs, sparked fury at "Israel’s" Western enablers for their selective position toward the “rules-based international order”, especially as the war in Gaza has exposed selective humanitarianism and bias in serving justice.
