MOSCOW, April 4. /TASS/. Israeli Ambassador to Russia Simona Halperin agrees that it is necessary to respect international humanitarian law in the conflict between Palestine and Israel, and that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) should also share this position, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said.
"Our position is well known as we have made it clear, including in the presence of the Israeli ambassador, who, I think, understands the need - and she has acknowledged this - to respect international humanitarian law. Hopefully, this position will be heard by the Israeli military, too," Russia’s top diplomat said following a meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Moscow.
At the meeting, Russia’s position condemning the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel by Gaza Strip-based Palestinian movement Hamas was made clear to the ambassadors, Lavrov explained. As well, the methods currently being used in Gaza by Israel, which, in effect, "has been subjecting the Palestinian people to collective punishment," were denounced as unacceptable, he added.