MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/. Russia’s presidential envoy for the Middle East and African countries and Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Chinese special envoy for the Middle East Zhai Jun discussed at a meeting the situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

"During the meeting, the sides confidently exchanged opinions on the most topical issues of the Middle East agenda with an emphasis on the situation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone. At the same time, Moscow and Beijing confirmed their unwavering commitment to close coordination of joint efforts in the interests of peaceful settlement of crises in the Middle East and on the African continent," the ministry said in a statement.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS deputy foreign ministers and special envoys for the Middle East and North Africa consultations.

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. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, over 34,100 Palestinians have been killed and almost 77,000 injured since tensions escalated on October 7, 2023, while up to 1,500 Israelis have been killed and nearly 4,200 injured.