SOCHI, November 8. /TASS/. Military activities in the Middle East should be stopped immediately, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Valdai International Discussion Club’s annual meeting.

"I have repeatedly said that all actions should be proportionate. Proportionate to the threats and to what is going on on the other side. We certainly condemn all forms of terrorism. The October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was an act of terrorism. However, the response should be proportionate. You know, at this point, the goal should be to minimize and end the suffering of the Palestinian people. Military activities should end at once. Everything must be done for Israel and Palestine to make an agreement on that," Putin pointed out.

"The main goal currently is to end hostilities. At once. Israel continues military operations even though it seems there’s no place left to carry out military operations. However, military operations go on. Armed units, particularly from Hamas, continue fighting. How long can all this go on? As for Lebanon, there is, I believe, a 63,000-strong battlegroup in the south. Troops entered southern Lebanon but most of the forces remain on the border. We cannot let a tragedy happen there, too," the Russian president said.