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Moscow urges Palestinians, Israelis to show restraint

The situation along the perimeter of the Gaza Strip has seriously deteriorated again lately

MOSCOW, November 12 (Itar-Tass) —— Moscow has called on the Palestinians and Israelis to show restraint and said that the construction by Israel of new settlements in East Jerusalem and in the West Bank complicates the situation.

“The situation along the perimeter of the Gaza Strip has seriously deteriorated again lately. According to mass media reports, on November 10 Gaza fighters fired at an Israeli patrol on the border with the Sector, wounding four military servicemen. The Israelis and Palestinians continued to exchange fire till the morning of November 12: the Israeli Air Force delivered two strikes on the Sector, and Gaza fired about one hundred rockets and shells at the southern regions of Israel, including the city of Sderot,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday, November 12.

“Incoming reports say that at least six Palestinians were killed, about 30 were wounded and several Israeli civilians were affected too,” the ministry said.

“Escalation of tensions around Gaza, accompanied by victims among innocent Palestinians and Israelis, seriously alarms Moscow,” the ministry said. “We urge all parties involved to show restraint and to avoid winding the spiral of violence.”

Russia “fully supports Egypt’s efforts towards the soonest ceasefire and restoration of the truce”.

An additional factor that further complicates Palestinian-Israeli relations is “the announcement last week by the Israeli authorities of tenders for construction of 1,285 housing units in Pisgat Ze’ev and Ramot in East Jerusalem, as well as Ariel in the West Bank”.

“The continuing Israeli settlement activities and outbreaks of tension along the perimeter of the Gaza Strip are harmful to the international community’s search for ways to resume substantive Palestinian-Israeli negotiations on the well-known internationally recognised legal basis, the need for which has been consistently emphasised by Russia, including during top-level contacts,” the ministry said.

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