MOSCOW, August 14. /TASS/. Palestine will under no circumstances agree to Russia's exclusion from the Middle East settlement process, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said in an interview with TASS First Deputy Director-General Mikhail Gusman following his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

As Abbas emphasized, Russia "has always sought and is seeking ways for a peace solution" and is striving for "a just solution to the Middle East issue in accordance with of international law."

"And let's not forget its role in the 'Middle East Quartet'. The United States has always wanted to exclude Russia from this process. Under no circumstances shall we agree to Russia's exclusion from any Middle East settlement platform, because it takes a truly fair position on the Middle East issue based on international law," Abbas stated.

As he explained, in the context of the "just solution" concept he meant that "Russia recognizes the Israeli state, but in return insists on recreating Palestine within the 1967 borders."

"This is Russia's position, which it adheres to at the UN, in the Security Council and in the General Assembly. Its position on this issue is firm and clear," Abbas summarized.

Deteriorating regional situation

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated after the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip on Israel, accompanied by the killing of residents in border settlements and the seizure of 250 hostages. The radicals called the attack a response to the Israeli authorities' actions against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a complete blockade of Gaza and carried out retaliatory strikes against it and parts of Lebanon and Syria before launching a ground operation in the Palestinian enclave, which is still continuing.

On July 31, Hamas said Ismail Haniyeh, the chief of its Political Bureau had been killed in an Israeli strike on his residence in Tehran, where he had arrived for the inauguration of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned that Israel would be severely punished for the killing of the Palestinian politician.