MOSCOW, June 26. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has described as scaring an Israeli official’s statement that there are no civilians in Gaza and all are terrorists there starting from three years of age.

While answering questions at the 10th international academic and expert forum Primakov Readings Lavrov drew attention to "the tragedy that is observed in Gaza and on the territory of the Palestinian National Authority."

He recalled that Moscow "immediately condemned the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack and categorically opposed the methods the Israeli leadership opted for to fight terrorists, thus violating all conceivable norms of international humanitarian law."

"I was very perturbed when Israel and [its leaders] began to argue that these methods are quite justified," Lavrov said. He also quoted an Israeli official who, when the world community called for sparing civilians in Gaza, uttered something like "there are no civilians there, they are all terrorists starting from the age of three."

"These are terrible words," Lavrov stated.

Moscow hopes that Israel will hear the voice of the world's overwhelming majority on the situation in Gaza, Lavrov said. He shared some details of his recent telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz.

"We had a very detailed and frank conversation with him. I hope that they will heed the voice of the overwhelming majority of the world's countries," Lavrov said.

He drew attention to the fact that the world’s majority pointed out that Israel’s actions ran counter to international humanitarian law: while stressing the need for eliminating the Palestinian radical movement Hamas Tel-Aviv was in reality destroying Gaza.

Lavrov pointed to the West's double standards regarding the Ukrainian conflict and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: "The double standards that are now manifesting themselves are very telling."

In particular, Lavrov quoted some statistics: 35,000 Palestinian civilians were killed during the six-month operation in Gaza, and more than twice as many were wounded, while the number of civilians who fell victim to the war in Donbass on both sides over 10 years was 33% smaller.

"The whole pathos of our Western colleagues is aimed at inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia: stop Russia, make it pull back to the 1991 borders, and the war will immediately stop. Is this what serious grown-up people are saying? It’s ridiculous," Lavrov said.

Creation of Palestinian state

At the same time, he emphasized that Russia has "good relations with Israel" and Moscow has always advocated "the need for ensuring Israel’s security in any circumstances." However, the Russian foreign minister recalled that "for many decades, the right of the Palestinians to their own state, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, was blocked and ignored, and the territory that was allocated for the Palestinian state was shrinking like a shagreen skin."

"Now, if you look at what Palestine actually controls, it is very difficult to imagine how on these tiny plots of land it will be possible to form something called a state," Lavrov noted.

"Or try to start talking about the creation of a Palestinian state. If this remains on the international community's agenda, as it should be, then look at the situation on the ground and at the territories that the Palestinian National Authority now controls in reality," Lavrov said.

Speaking about Russia's actions, he recalled that "long before the current tragedy Moscow was pressing for Palestinian unity," and over the past 10 years repeatedly gathered all Palestinian factions in Moscow, persuading them to pool efforts and to present a common front at negotiations with Israel, which "should be direct and should be resumed."

Lavrov cited last February’s meeting at which Palestinian factions for the first time adopted a joint statement of intent to unite on the basis of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s Charter.

About the forum

The Primakov Readings forum was first held in 2015. The conference has since acquired the status of an authoritative platform for discussing international relations scenarios, challenges to international security, and new models of interaction by world policy actors. TASS is the forum’s general media partner.