MOSCOW, October 9. /TASS/. Moscow expects the Western countries to call for a halt to hostilities in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone, but the current position of the West raises questions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with the League of Arab States’ Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit.

"We have heard the relevant statements from our Western counterparts who condemn the attack against Israel, and we expect that they will also call for a halt to the hostilities, but their position raises serious questions," he said.

The position of the Western countries, based on the principle of unconditional support for Israel, is not conducive to resolving the Palestinian-Israeli standoff, which the Russian foreign minister characterized as "the longest unresolved conflict on Earth."

"Such outbreaks have occurred many times, but after the situation calmed down, the necessary efforts were never exerted to eliminate the root cause that undermines stability in the Middle East. I mean the settlement of the Palestinian problem on the basis of the two-state formula in accordance with the decisions of the UN Security Council, in accordance with the agreements of the parties concerned, including those concluded at the Oslo and Madrid meetings, in accordance with the Arab Peace Initiative," Lavrov pointed out.

He also emphasized that Moscow had repeatedly reaffirmed its interest in ensuring the security of both Palestine and Israel.

Israel came under missile attack from the Gaza Strip on the morning of October 7. Simultaneously, several groups of Palestinian militants from the Hamas movement infiltrated the Jewish state, engaging in fighting with Israeli forces. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) declared a state of readiness for war and launched retaliatory actions dubbed Operation Iron Swords. Hamas Politburo Head Ismail Haniyeh described the Palestinian operation as a response to aggressive actions by the Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant authorized the callup of IDF reservists and ordered that "the special security situation" be expanded nationwide.