MOSCOW, November 3. /TASS/. Russia continues to put forward initiatives that call for a ceasefire, addressing humanitarian problems and releasing refugees in the zone of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday.

"As for the initiatives, we have been advancing and will continue to advance corresponding initiatives in the United Nations, in the Security Council, which, are primarily aimed at a ceasefire, the resolution of humanitarian problems and the release of refugees," he said after talks with his visiting Kuwaiti counterpart, Salem Abdullah al-Jaber al-Sabah. "We are practically addressing these matters on a daily basis in our contacts with the Israelis, Egyptians, Palestinians both here and in the region."

According to Lavrov, today’s talks focused on the initiatives that are to be implemented in the coming days, including an Arab League and an Arab-African summit on the Gaza problem. "We have always relied on the decisions and opinions of regional countries while analyzing this or that concrete conflict. And in this case, it will be principally important for us to learn their consolidated opinion, and I am sure it will be the consolidated opinion of the Arab world," he said. "And we will do our utmost to promote the implementation of those plans and initiatives that are advanced by the countries of the region. We trust them completely in what concerns maintaining peace and stability here and will continue supporting the Arabs’ decision on this most complicated problem."

He stressed that the most important thing is to "stop the bloodshed, ensure a ceasefire and address humanitarian issues." "And immediately after that, the entire international community should pool efforts to have Israel and Palestine resume direct talks. Such talks can be based entirely on international laws established by the United Nations Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, as well as, by the way, by the sides’ previous agreements. And this is the only path to the resolution of this problem," Lavrov said.

"This is not about resolving the Gaza problem, but about resolving the problems of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the State of Palestine is an inseparable part of this solution. The rest, let me repeat, gives ground for very big doubts and causes very big concerns as constituting an attempt to undermine the resolution of these problems," he stressed.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory, killing many Israelis living in the settlements near the border and abducting more than 200 people, including children, women and the elderly. 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.