Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya alerted on Friday of the looming full-scale war in the Middle East.
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Nebenzya said that "the region is on the brink of a full-scale war and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe." The Russian envoy to the UN noted that the United States bears "responsibility for the looming war in the Middle East, to a large extent."
His remarks to the press came after a closed-door meeting of the UN Security Council on the current escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Nebenzya furthermore said that "the current flare-up of violence happens against the background with real systematic violations of the decisions of the UN Security Council and the General Assembly, including the illegal expansion of settlements, which is regularly condemned by the vast majority of UN member states."
During his intervention, Nebenzya reiterated Russia's condemnation of "extreme brutality, killings and the horrifying scale of violence." He said that "any killings and violence against peaceful civilians, both Israeli and Palestinian citizens, is inadmissible."
The senior official considered unacceptable "Israel's actions to collectively punish the residents of Gaza". He condemned "the indiscriminate attacks on residential neighborhoods in Gaza, cutting off Gaza's water and electricity," as well as "Israel's demands to evacuate more than one million civilians in 24 hours and concentrate them in a de facto ghetto in the south of the Strip."
These actions are "unacceptable and could have irreversible consequences both in the region and in the world," the Russian representative said, calling to protect "human lives which are the most important thing."
Moscow’s Proposal Calling for a Ceasefire
On the occasion of the UNSC closed-door meeting, the Russian diplomat submitted a draft resolution urging a ceasefire and having a humanitarian character. According to Nebenzya, Moscow asked other Security Council members to submit their reactions on the proposal by 16:00 (GMT) on Saturday.
The document condemns violence against civilians and acts of terrorism, calling for the release of hostages kidnapped by Hamas during its offensives against Israeli occupation forces.
It also includes the need to guarantee the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, as well as the establishment of conditions for the evacuation of civilians.
The representative of China, Zhang Jun, responded positively to Moscow's proposal, noting that Beijing is willing to consider any effort to reach a ceasefire and defend the civilian population.