On Monday, Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian President, and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin had a telephonic discussion on the Hamas-Israel battle, wherein Putin expressed Russian support for the Palestinians’ right to freedom and statehood with East Jerusalem as their capital, the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported.
Putin reportedly stressed the significance of a ceasefire deal and allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip to prevent the displacement of thousands of Palestinians from the area.
The Palestinian leader reiterated the need to prevent attacks and targeting of civilians, and create safe corridors to allow entry of medical and food supplies, along with supplying water and electricity to the people of Gaza.
The Palestinian president emphasized stopping the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, adding that the act is considered a second ‘nakba’ or catastrophe for the Palestinian people – similar to the one in 1948, according to WAFA.
Abbas condemned the killing of civilians on both sides, adding that the captured civilians must be released immediately.
WAFA also reported that Abbas’ strategy is to acquire peace and security through the implementation of the two-state solution based on international resolutions, recognition of the state of Palestine through political and legal means, and denial of brutality on both sides.
Authorities in Gaza say at least 2,837 people have so far been killed in Israeli air strikes – a quarter of them being children – and nearly 10,000 have been seriously injured. An additional 1,000 are missing and considered to be under the rubble.
More than 1,300 Israelis and foreign nationals were killed in the October 7 invasion of Israel by the Palestinian militants Hamas, one of the deadliest attacks in the state’s 75-year history.
