By Andrew Osborn
Oct 25 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday that Israel’s conflict with Hamas could spread nicely beyond the Middle East and mentioned it was improper that harmless ladies, kids and outdated folks in Gaza had been being punished for different folks’s crimes.
Putin, who made the feedback in a Kremlin assembly with Russian spiritual leaders of various faiths, mentioned bloodshed within the area needed to cease. He mentioned he instructed different world leaders in cellphone calls that if it didn’t, there was a danger of a a lot wider conflagration.
“Our activity right this moment, our fundamental activity, is to cease the bloodshed and violence,” mentioned Putin, in line with a Kremlin transcript of the assembly.
“In any other case, additional escalation of the disaster is fraught with grave and intensely harmful and damaging penalties. And never just for the Middle East area. It could spill over far beyond the borders of the Middle East.”
In remarks that criticised the West, he mentioned that sure unnamed forces had been in search of to impress additional escalation and to attract as many different international locations and peoples into the conflict as doable.
The intention, he mentioned, was to “launch an actual wave of chaos and mutual hatred not solely within the Middle East but additionally far beyond its borders. For this objective, amongst different issues, they’re making an attempt to play on the nationwide and non secular emotions of hundreds of thousands of individuals.”
Putin conveyed his condolences to the households of Israelis and residents of different international locations who had been killed or wounded by Hamas in its bloody Oct. 7 assault.
Moscow, he mentioned, continued to advocate for a two-state resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli challenge, one thing he mentioned was the one method to attain a long-term settlement.
He made it clear although that he thought Israel was improper to maintain bombing Gaza in retaliation for the slaughter and hostage-taking of Israeli residents by Hamas.
“It is usually clear to us that harmless folks shouldn’t be held liable for crimes dedicated by others,” mentioned Putin.
“The struggle towards terrorism can’t be carried out in line with the infamous precept of collective accountability when outdated folks, ladies, kids, whole households and lots of of 1000’s of persons are left with out shelter, meals, water, electrical energy and medical care.” (Reporting by Andrew Osborn; Enhancing by Cynthia Osterman)
