MOSCOW, December 14. /TASS/. Russia is ready to open a hospital at a stadium in the Gaza Strip but Israel has not yet given the go-ahead to do so, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the combined Direct Line Q&A session and year-end press conference.

The Russian leader said that during his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), he found out that the UAE had opened a field hospital near the town of Rafah in the Gaza Strip. "And we talked about the possibility of Russia opening its own hospital there, at a stadium," he added.

"But, of course, both Egypt and Israel need to give their consent," he stressed. "I talked to [Israeli] Prime Minister Netanyahu, they consulted among their various agencies and the Israeli side thinks that it is not safe to open a Russian hospital in Gaza," Putin said. He clarified that he also discussed the issue with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. "He supports it," the Russian leader said.

According to Putin, Israel’s reluctance to open the hospital does not mean that Russia will cease its efforts to overcome the humanitarian crisis. For instance, there is an agreement with the Israelis stipulating that the Russian side will increase deliveries of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals to Gaza, the Russian head of state noted. "And, undoubtedly, we will do this," he assured.

"It is necessary to save the people of Gaza. <…> It is necessary to provide massive humanitarian support to those people," Putin stressed.