Lavrov: Palestinian Statehood ‘Key to Resolve All Issues’ in West Asia

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated that Israel has plans to take full control of the occupied West Bank and to displace Palestinians from Gaza.

He added: “The policy of collective punishment is something we do not accept.”

He said 46,000 Palestinian civilians had been killed in Gaza as a result of what he described as Israel’s genocide against Palestinians.

Speaking yesterday, Lavrov highlighted emerging challenges in the second phase of the ceasefire agreement, citing Israel’s dissatisfaction with the outcomes of the first phase.

Lavrov also highlighted that the number of civilian casualties in Ukraine since February 2022 is significantly lower than the number of victims in Gaza, according to Anadolu Agency.

He welcomed the ceasefire agreement, which took a year to achieve but criticised the United States for blocking earlier efforts, saying that the Americans besieged and prevented all attempts to reach a ceasefire, referring to Washington’s use of its veto at the UN.

He acknowledged the key role played by Egypt and Qatar, alongside the United States, in pressuring both Hamas and Israel to reach a ceasefire.

Commenting on the Israeli military assault on the occupied West Bank, now in its third week, Lavrov stated that Israel continues its military operations in the West Bank without shame while also trying to expel Palestinians from Gaza. It has carried out forced displacement in the West Bank and insists on remaining in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.

He emphasised that the key to solving all problems in the Middle East is the establishment of a Palestinian state. There are numerous UN Security Council resolutions on this matter, and all external players stress the necessity of a two-state solution, he added.

Lavrov pointed out that the Biden administration has consistently supported the two-state solution, whereas the Trump administration has yet to clarify its stance on this issue. However, during Trump’s first term, his administration promoted an alternative approach through the Abraham Accords, seeking to distance itself from the Arab Peace Initiative, which was originally proposed by Saudi Arabia in line with UN resolutions and later endorsed by the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

He added that If this initiative had been implemented, it could have helped normalise relations between Israel and all Islamic countries.