riad

Vladimir Putin’s condemnation of the “cruelty” of the Hamas attack on Israel arrives with a belated response, but with the addition that the Israelis also respond “with rather cruel methods”. Speaking to journalists at the summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, the Russian leader sends a clear warning to Israel not to transform Gaza into another Leningrad.

Accuse

“Such a siege is unacceptable, as are the civilian victims” of a possible land intervention. To be even more explicit in his anti-American position, he explains that “this enormous tragedy for Israelis and Palestinians is the direct result of America’s failed policies in the Middle East.” Moscow’s rapprochement with Tehran in the war in Ukraine, with the systematic use of Iranian drones and ammunition, had already damaged the delicate balance of relations between Russia and Israel for some time. Now, the terrorist incursion of Hamas fighters and the Israeli reaction see Putin eager to take advantage of Middle Eastern instability in an anti-Western (and anti-Israeli) vein. At the same time, the first political objective of the attack by Hamas, in agreement with Iran, seems to have been achieved, namely to block the dialogue between Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Netanyahu for the normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and the signing of “Abraham Agreements”, in line with those already signed with the United Arab Emirates.
According to Reuters sources, in fact, the talks between Riyadh and Jerusalem will not be interrupted but will be postponed, frozen by the resumption of the conflict. A Saudi approach that does not consider the Palestinian cause and the victims of the bombing of Gaza would in fact risk sparking revolt in the Arab streets in the Gulf too. According to the sources of the British news agency, it is impossible to continue the negotiations and the issue of Israeli concessions to the Palestinians should in any case become central when contacts resume. Which, Reuters notes, indicates that Riyadh has not abandoned the idea entirely. For Jake Sullivan, US National Security Advisor, diplomatic efforts towards the “Abraham Accords” do not stop, but the focus shifts for the moment to “more immediate challenges”. His spokesman, John Kirby, reiterates that the United States “still believes in the promise of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia, but these are sovereign nations that will decide for themselves.” Iranian President Raisi’s phone call to Prince Bin Salman on Thursday arises in this context. The first to “support Palestine and prevent the spread of war in the region”, the second in response to ensure that the Kingdom is committed to de-escalation. Yesterday the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Bogdanov, and the Iranian ambassador to Moscow, Jalali, spoke to each other. In Bishkek, Putin is pushing for “an immediate ceasefire and the stabilization of the situation on the ground”, also proposing himself as a mediator.

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Consequences

IIsrael, he says, was attacked «with unprecedented brutality, yet the issue must be resolved peacefully, there is no alternative to two independent states. A ground operation in the Gaza Strip with the use of heavy equipment in residential areas is a complex issue, fraught with serious consequences for everyone », he concludes. “There could be an absolutely unacceptable number of civilian victims among the two million people of the Strip, we must put an end to the bloodbath.” We have reached this point due to the “unilateral line that the US has held for many years, bringing the situation in the Middle East to a dead end, by not using the quartet of mediators” which includes the UN, the US, Russia and the EU.

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Cairo

Finally, the position of another protagonist in the area, Egypt, whose Foreign Ministry yesterday condemned the Israeli army’s decision to order the evacuation of a million people in Gaza from north to south, is delicate. “It is a serious violation of the rules of international humanitarian law, which exposes one million Palestinian citizens to the risks of remaining in the open without shelter.” Furthermore, Cairo fears the flow of refugees that could arrive from the border between Gaza and Egypt.

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on Il Messaggero
2023-10-13 20:52:35
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