Moscow has \u2018serious questions\u2019 about Western policy on Israel, Russia\u2019s top diplomat tells the head of the Arab League
\nNews Agency
\nRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that creating a Palestinian state was the \u201cmost reliable\u201d solution for peace in Israel and that fighting alone would not ensure security.
\nLavrov spoke on Monday during a news conference with the head of the Arab League, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, who visited Russia after Hamas, the Palestinian group that rules Gaza, launched a massive surprise attack on Saturday.
\nCreating a \u201cPalestinian state that would live side by side with Israel \u2026 is the most reliable path to solve [the conflict]\u201d, Lavrov said.
\n\u201cWe cannot agree with those who say that security can only be ensured through a fight with terrorism.\u201d
\nHe said Moscow was \u201cdeeply concerned that hundreds of Israelis and Palestinians have died and that the Gaza Sector has been declared a target for Israeli retaliation\u201d.
\nLavrov said Russia \u2013 in the middle of its almost 20-month-long Ukraine offensive \u2013 had \u201cserious questions\u201d about Western policy on Israel.
\n\u201cThey say that [fighting] should be stopped immediately, that Israel should destroy the terrorists,\u201d Lavrov said.
\n\u201cBut this was done before \u2026 and never after the situation calmed down did they come to the fact that the main reason [for the conflict] needs to be eliminated,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThe Palestinian problem should not be delayed further.\u201d
\nLavrov earlier said that Russia and the Arab League would work to \u201cstop the bloodshed\u201d in Israel and Gaza.
\nAboul Gheit, meanwhile, said he condemned \u201cthe violence, but from all sides\u201d.
\n\u201cWe demand the creation of political prospects and a fair resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict,\u201d he said.
\nThe Kremlin said on Monday it feared a foreign player could enter the conflict after the US moved warships closer to its ally Israel.
\n\u201cThe risk of third forces becoming involved in this conflict is high,\u201d Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by the TASS news agency.
\n\u201cIt is very important to find ways as soon as possible to move towards some kind of negotiation process in order to reduce this escalation and move away from a military solution,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Moscow has \u2018serious questions\u2019 about Western policy on Israel, Russia\u2019s top diplomat tells the head of the Arab League News Agency Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that creating a Palestinian state was the \u201cmost reliable\u201d solution for peace in Israel and that fighting alone would not ensure security. Lavrov spoke on Monday during […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":360650,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-360622","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n