MOSCOW, February 14. /TASS/. Russia and the Vatican are concerned about the situation in the Middle East and are conducting a dialogue on this issue, Russian Ambassador to the Vatican Ivan Soltanovsky told TASS in an interview.

"For the Vatican, issues related to the situation in the Middle East have always been a priority. Special attention is also paid to this issue in the Russian-Vatican dialogue. Our positions coincide in many respects," he said in response to a question. "The current situation in the Gaza Strip is clearly of concern to both Russia and the Holy See. We have prospects for further dialogue on this issue," the ambassador emphasized.

Earlier, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said that the Holy See was ready for any mediation necessary for a settlement in the Middle East. He condemned the Hamas attack while noting that Israel's "legitimate self-defense" should not endanger the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip. The official also authorized Vatican mediation in talks for the release of hostages.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when militants from the Gaza Strip-based radical Palestinian movement Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking over 240 hostages, including women, children and the elderly. Hamas described its attack as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. In response, Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians before the crisis, and has been delivering air strikes on Gaza as well as some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes have also been reported on the West Bank.