MOSCOW, October 11. /TASS/. Moscow can make its contribution to the settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"We have very stable economic relations with Israel. We have had friendly relations with Palestine for decades. Our friends know this. In my opinion, Russia could also contribute to the settlement process," he said.

The Russian leader also pointed out that the work of the Middle East Quartet (which includes the UN, Russia, the US and the EU) could be revived for this purpose. "Well, why not," Putin said in response to a related question. At the same time, he noted that the conflict is now at an unprecedentedly acute stage. "The acuity is such that we don't see anything like this, I think, anywhere else," the Russian president said.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian Hamas movement staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel has announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip as it has been delivering rocket attacks on Gaza as well as some districts in Lebanon and Syria.

According to the latest official data, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 5,500 others have suffered wounds. In Israel, over 1,500 people have lost their lives and roughly 4,000 have been wounded in clashes, including on the West Bank of the Jordan River.