HAVANA, February 19. /TASS/. More civilians have been killed in Israel’s operation in Gaza than in Ukraine since the 2014 coup, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following talks with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla.

"Almost five months into the operation in the Gaza Strip, the number of civilian deaths is much higher than the death toll since the start of the military operation and even the 2014 coup in Ukraine," the top Russian diplomat noted. "This is an enormous figure for the region and there is no end in sight," he added.

Lavrov emphasized that Russia was actively seeking to help the Israelis and the Palestinians to reach an agreement. "We see no other option but for them to engage in direct dialogue," the top Russian diplomat said.