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Escalation in Gaza Strip provoked by Israeli strikes — Russian envoy

Vasily Nebenzya noted that the sides reached a ceasefire and commended the mediation efforts of Egypt and Qatar as well as the UN’s contribution

UNITED NATIONS, August 9. /TASS /. The August 5 strikes by Israel’s Air Force provoked an escalation around the Gaza Strip causing mass bombardments by Palestinian groups, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya said at a session of the UN Security Council on the situation in the Gaza Strip on Monday.

"The rapid degradation of the situation in the conflict zone which led to an armed confrontation and multiple casualties causes our deep concern," he said. "Another escalation was caused by the strikes of the Israeli air force on the Gaza Strip on August 5 in response to which the Palestinian groups began mass indiscriminate bombardments of Israel," the diplomat explained.

He noted that the sides reached a ceasefire and commended the mediation efforts of Egypt and Qatar as well as the UN’s contribution.

The Russian diplomat urged "all the involved parties to display the utmost restraint, to observe the norms of international humanitarian law and to prevent a new escalation of military action."

Israel started Operation Breaking Dawn against the Islamic Jihad in Gaza on August 5. The radicals fired 1,100 missiles on Israel within the 56 hours that the operation lasted. The Israeli army hit 170 military targets of the group. A ceasefire, which Egypt helped to broker, went into effect on August 7. Israel reserved the right to use force if the ceasefire is violated.