Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for the first time since the deadly Hamas attack. During the call, Putin briefed Netanyahu on the discussions with regional leaders and the Palestinian authority, reported The Moscow Times.
The Kremlin stated that the Israeli side was specifically informed about Putin's telephonic discussions with leaders of Palestine, Egypt, Iran, and Syria. The focus of these talks, according to Moscow, centred on the crisis situation resulting from the brutal escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
During the call, Putin conveyed his sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased Israelis. He informed Netanyahu about Russia's efforts to promote the normalization of the situation, prevent further violence escalation, and avert a humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip. According to Fox News, the Kremlin statement said: "A unanimous opinion was expressed on the need for an early ceasefire and the establishment of a humanitarian truce in order to urgently provide assistance to all those in need. There was also serious concern about the likelihood of the conflict escalating into a regional war."
Putin engaged in telephone conversations with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas. The Russian leader communicated Russia's fundamental desire to continue targeted actions aimed at ending the conflict and seeking a peaceful settlement through political and diplomatic means, according to a government statement.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu's Office also put out a statement about his call with Putin. "Israeli PM Netanyahu spoke this evening with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The PM clarified that Israel was attacked by despicable and cruel murderers, and went into a war determined, and united, and will not stop until it will destroy Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities," the statement read.
Maintaining good relations with both Israeli and Palestinian authorities, as well as regional players like Syria, Egypt, and Iran, has been a traditional stance for Moscow.