NOVO-OGARYOVO, October 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin asked Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov to assess the situation in the Middle East at a meeting on operational issues, given that many Russian nationals are located in Israel and the Gaza Strip.
"Sergey Alexeyevich [Ryabkov], it is important for me to hear the opinion of the Foreign Ministry, the security services, foreign intelligence, all of [our] colleagues who have gathered here. Given the developing situation, given that many of our citizens are in the conflict zone (in the Middle East - TASS), both on one side and on the other, and civilians are suffering, the question arises of humanitarian aid in the region for all those who need it," the Russian president said, addressing Ryabkov.
"On the eve of [planned] telephone conversations and in order to formulate a common position on this issue, I would like to ask you to give, for starters, a general assessment of how the Foreign Ministry sees the situation developing," the Russian leader said.
Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian movement Hamas 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 2,800 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 10,900 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.