MOSCOW, January 12. /TASS/. Russia is in favor of holding consultations in Moscow between the key players in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict settlement, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Friday.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry has proposed an initiative whereby consultations will be held in Moscow bringing the key players in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict settlement together in order to coordinate their positions on the issue," she said.

"We continue trying to put on the agenda the issue regarding establishment of an effective mediation mechanism for the Middle East conflict settlement, where regional countries would play a significant role," she added.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023 after militants of the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas launched a surprise incursion into Israeli territory, killing many Israeli kibbutz residents living near the Gaza border and abducting more than 200 Israelis, including women, children and the elderly.

Hamas described its attack as a response to the Israeli authorities’ aggressive actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Israel has declared a complete siege of the Gaza Strip and started a military operation there. Israel is also striking parts of Lebanon and Syria in retaliation for attacks originating from those countries. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.