NIZHNY NOVGOROD, June 11. /TASS/. Russia considers it unacceptable to sacrifice hundreds of innocent people in order to save others, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference following the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting, commenting on the Israeli operation in Nuseirat.
"Just as we reacted to the October 7 terrorist attack and to the methods that Israel began to use in response, I consider it unacceptable when hundreds and hundreds of other people who are not guilty of anything are sacrificed for the sake of saving innocent people," the minister said.
According to the Russian foreign minister, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt and Jordan took part in the negotiations in various formats, which were devoted, among other things, to the release of hostages. "We also participated in this work, not only for Russian citizens, but also for citizens of other countries. These efforts brought certain results," Lavrov said.
According to him, this group of mediators understands better than others what problems remain to resolve the situation peacefully. Lavrov recalled that Russia's position has been repeatedly outlined, including in draft UN Security Council resolutions: an immediate and indefinite ceasefire, the release of all hostages and all Palestinians held in Israel, the solution of urgent humanitarian problems, and the obligatory resumption of negotiations on the establishment of a Palestinian state.
On June 8, the Israeli army's press service reported a special operation in the Nuseirat area in the central part of the Gaza Strip, which resulted in the release of four Israelis who were kidnapped on October 7. They are Noa Agramani (25), Almog Meir (21), Shlomi Ziv (40) and Andrey Kozlov (27), who also holds Russian citizenship. The Gaza Health Ministry said that at least 274 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli operation.