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Middle East conflict

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Israel not in talks with Hamas, ambassador to Russia says

Ben Zvi stressed that it was "a war crime" to take civilians hostage

MOSCOW, October 14. /TASS/. Israel is not in talks with Hamas, the country’s Ambassador to Russia Alexander Ben Zvi told TASS.

"Many maintain contact with Hamas, among them Russia, Egypt and Qatar. There are countries who have some kind of good relations with them, I would say. And I would also say that if someone can help in any way, let them do so. However, we aren’t talking about negotiations," he pointed out.

Ben Zvi stressed that it was "a war crime" to take civilians hostage. "How is it possible to hold negotiations when you don’t even know what to talk about? There is nothing to talk about. Things will slightly change if they release the hostages. However, it’s not only about releasing the hostages, it is about Hamas’ policy and their desire to destroy the state of Israel. How is it possible to hold talks with someone who wants to destroy you? It’s impossible," the diplomat noted.

According to him, "there is a need to deprive [Hamas] of its terrorist shape. I have always said that it’s just like ISIL (the former name of the Islamic State terror group outlawed in Russia - TASS). It is a terrorist organization that poses a threat to the entire civilized world, not just Israel, and it has to be dealt with. This is the issue to be addressed before launching talks about something constructive. Otherwise, it won’t make sense," the Israeli ambassador added. Tensions in the Middle East flared up again after Hamas militants infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian movement described its attack as a response to the actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Jerusalem's Temple Mount. Israel declared a state of readiness for war, announced a total blockade of Gaza and started carrying out strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as on certain areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank. Over 1,900 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 have suffered wounds; in Israel, the death toll stands at about 1,500 and nearly 4,000 people have been wounded.

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UN General Assembly adopts resolution on Golan Heights — results of vote

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