BISHKEK, October 13. /TASS/. The unprecedented escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict has turned into an enormous tragedy for Israelis and Palestinians alike, Russian President Vladimir Putin said among a limited circle of high officials at a meeting of the Council of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Heads of State, which is currently convening in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

"I would be remiss not to say a few words about the unprecedented flare-up of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, during which thousands of civilians on both sides have been killed or wounded. What happened, this enormous tragedy that the Israelis and Palestinians are now living through, is the direct result of the failed policy of the United States in the Middle East," the Russian leader said.

As Putin noted, the US, supported by its European satellites, "was attempting to monopolize the Middle Eastern settlement process, but has not concerned itself with [the painstaking process of] seeking out compromises that are acceptable to both sides, and definitely never took the fundamental interests of the Palestinian people into account."

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. Hamas described its operation as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel has declared a state of war readiness and announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians. Clashes are underway in the West Bank as well.

According to the latest official data, over 1,500 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 7,200 have suffered wounds. In Israel, up to 1,500 people lost their lives and almost 4,000 have been wounded.