ANTALYA, March 2. /TASS/. Israeli raids against Palestinians in the West Bank are serious events, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during his press conference after the Antalya Diplomacy Forum.

"Also, serious developments are taking place in the West Bank, where Israeli army raids against Palestinians have become more frequent. So this is going ahead full throttle," Lavrov said.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory on October 7, when many Israelis living in the settlements near the border were killed and about 240 people, including children, women and the elderly, were taken hostage. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria, and then proceeded to carry out a ground operation in the enclave. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.