MOSCOW, February 21. /TASS/. Russia hopes that Israel will decide to end hostilities in the Gaza Strip soon and that diplomatic efforts led by global bodies facilitate talks between Palestine and Israel, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Dmitry Polyansky said in an interview with RTVI.

"The situation is only getting worse for Israel. So, I hope that in the near future, the Israeli leadership will make a decision on an immediate ceasefire after all. And then indeed diplomacy can prevail, possibly the UN’s diplomacy as well," the diplomat stressed.

According to the envoy, it is now clear to everyone that eventually some kind of "mechanism of international assistance to the Palestinian-Israeli talks and solution-seeking on implementing the UN Security Council resolutions on creating two states will be established." "[However,] it is still hard to say how this will look," he continued. "At this stage, Israel should above all consent to an immediate ceasefire. Then it will become clear which parameters of international assistance to this settlement can be discussed," the diplomat concluded.