TEHRAN, October 23. /TASS/. Unilateral mediatory efforts are not enough to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as collective steps are needed for that, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday.
"I am convinced that no one can reconcile Palestinians and the Israelis single-handedly, like the United States has been trying to do for year. It is necessary to act based on the collective potential of countries and the region, and, probably, the European Union, and the United States as it is difficult to do without it here. But it is necessary to act collectively, not unilaterally," he said after a 3+3 ministerial meeting on the South Caucasus.
Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank. More than 5,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 15,000 others injured. In Israel, at least 1,500 people have lost their lives and almost 4,500 have been wounded.