Amid the fierce Israeli attacks on the crowded Palestinian enclave, grounding residential blocks in the Gaza Strip, Russian President Vladimir Putin urged the combating parties to resolve their issues by initiating talks, as countries are voicing concerns about the conflict's potential to escalate.
Putin also hoped that the current situation would not expand, which was started Saturday last week with the powerful response by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas to Israeli decades-old brutality.
More than 1,000 Palestinians were martyred by the Israeli strikes in Gaza — ruled by Hamas — with the death toll on the occupied forces side reaching 1,200.
"It is necessary to avoid the expansion of the conflict at all cost because if it happens it will have an impact on the international situation," Russian President Putin said Wednesday.
"Parties need to return to a negotiation process that should be acceptable to all sides, including to the Palestinians," the 71-year-old leader said.
He also said it was "necessary to engage in diplomacy rather than with the military side [of the conflict] to find solutions to stop the fighting."
Russia has a history of maintaining friendly relations with both Palestinians and Israeli authorities — though ties with Jerusalem have been strained by Moscow's special military operation in Ukraine which commenced in February last year.
While the West condemned Palestinian attacks, Russia has so far carefully denounced violence from both sides.
Russia also believed that the current situation in the Middle Eastern region is the direct result of the US foreign policy "failure."
Russia "could contribute to the settlement process," Putin said while making an offer to mediate in the current situation. He also added that any mediation effort would be difficult given the gravity of the situation.
A day earlier Putin called for "the creation of an independent sovereign Palestinian state."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan initiated talks with Hamas to secure the release of Israeli hostages taken into custody in a recent attack by the Palestinian resistance group.
According to media reports, President Erdogan has given the go-ahead in the negotiations.
Turkey, which has had historical ties with Hamas, is now actively engaged in diplomatic efforts to mediate the conflict arising from the recent surprise attack by Hamas on Israel.
Turkey earlier conveyed its mediation offer and asserted to facilitate the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian situation during Erdogan's recent exchanges with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) and Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Several reports noted that "Turkey is conducting negotiations concerning the civilian prisoners held by Hamas," without any further information about the discussions on the matter.
Turkey has been vocal about the Palestinian cause and urged a two-state solution since the Israelis encroached upon the Palestinian land turning the country a living hell for the innocent Muslims of the country.
Citing fears of escalation, Ankara called for restraint, emphasising the need to protect civilians on both sides. It also expressed that the key to regional peace lies in the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
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