MOSCOW, October 10. /TASS/. Moscow maintains close contact with all parties to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict amid the risk of further escalation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters at the State Duma, or lower house of parliament.

"We have confirmed on behalf of the Foreign Ministry our firm belief that the destructive policy of recent years, which in fact erased or was at least aimed at erasing the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, was what led to the current developments. There is a risk of further escalation and destabilization. In such a situation, Moscow is maintaining the most intense, close contacts with all the parties involved, particularly through the Foreign Ministry," he noted.

"The current priority goal is to ensure the safety of our fellow citizens and provide an opportunity to be evacuated to those who are interested in that, which is what we are working on at the moment," Ryabkov added.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when Palestinian militants from the Hamas movement attacked Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. According to the latest official data, almost 700 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 3,700 have suffered wounds. In Israel, more than 900 people have lost their lives and about 2,600 have been wounded.

Hamas described its operation as a response to the aggressive actions of the Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel has declared a state of readiness for war and announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians.