Russia calls on Palestine, Israel to refrain from confrontational steps — MFA

Russian Foreign Ministry headquarters
©Valery Sharifulin/TASS

Russia expresses serious concern about the escalation between Palestine and Israel and calls on the sides of the conflict to refrain from confrontational steps, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday.

The ministry said the latest surge of tensions in the conflict was sparked by clashes in the Al-Aqsa Mosque on April 5.

"The ongoing escalation of violence in the area of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict causes deep concern in Moscow," the ministry said. "We call on the sides that are involved in the conflict to refrain from confrontational steps, act in the interests of preventing further escalation, cessation of violence and the reinstatement of a sustainable ceasefire."

The Foreign Ministry added that Moscow reaffirms the importance of observing the status quo of Jerusalem's holy sites and respecting religious rights amid the ongoing escalation.

"Special discretion in these matters is required now, taking into account the fact that this year the holy Muslim month of Ramadan, Catholic and Orthodox Easter, as well as the Jewish Passover fall on April," the ministry said.

The ministry said that without a clear, "comprehensive solution to this long-standing problem," relapses of violent confrontation are inevitable.

"The key to long-term stabilization of the situation can only be the establishment of a full-fledged negotiation process aimed at developing a compromise formula for the Palestinian-Israeli settlement on a well-known international legal basis," the ministry said.

Erdogan calls for no more escalation between Palestine, Israel

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has expressed concern over the escalation between Palestine and Israel following clashes in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and called on the parties to the conflict to refrain from further escalation and that the international community stand together to defend religious sites.

"Common sense must prevail to prevent another wave of escalation. The international community led by the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation must make efforts within all platforms to protect the status of religious holy sites," the Turkish president’s press service quoted Erdogan as saying during a telephone conversation with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Friday.

The WAFA Palestinian News Agency reported on Tuesday that Israeli law enforcement officers had broken into the Al-Aqsa Mosque and used flash bang grenades, tear gas, rubber bullets and batons. According to the Lebanese Al Mayadeen television channel, more than 400 people were detained. The Israeli police said on Wednesday that dozens of young men in masks had barricaded themselves in the Temple complex, chanting slogans and calling for riots. The police had to intervene.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday that at least 34 rockets had been fired at the Israeli territory from Lebanon. Twenty-five rockets were intercepted by the Israeli air defense system. Later, it was reported that the area around the city of Metula in northern Israel had come under mortar shelling from the Lebanese territory. In response, the Israeli military shelled territories in southern Lebanon, Al Mayadeen reported. According to Israel’s Kan radio station, three HAMAS facilities were attacked in southern Lebanon and more than ten HAMAS facilities were targeted in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Friday.