Putin Phoned Israeli Counterpart To Discuss Hamas Attack Remedies

(LibertySociety.com) – Russian President Vladimir Putin offered support to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a phone call on October 16. During the call, Putin shared highlights of his recent discussions with other leaders in the region. He expressed sympathy to Netanyahu for the lives that were lost during the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.

More than 1,300 Israelis were killed on October 7 when the country was attacked by Hamas terrorists. Russia previously introduced a ceasefire resolution with the United Nations Security Council, but according to the readout of the phone call, Putin did not discuss the matter with Netanyahu.

Over the last several days, Putin has discussed the situation with the presidents of Syria, Iran, Egypt, and the Palestinian Authority. According to the Kremlin, the leaders expressed “serious concern about the likelihood of the conflict escalating into a regional war.” Netanyahu’s office also released a statement after the phone call, clarifying that there was a united front retaliating for the attack on Israel. His office said that he told Putin that Israel “will not stop until it will destroy Hamas’ military and governmental capabilities. On October 13 during a meeting in Kyrgyzstan’s capital city, Putin said that Israel has every right to defend itself but cautioned against harming women and children. He also discussed the possibility that weapons sent to Ukraine from the United States ended up on the black market and into the hands of terrorists.

Putin also addressed rumors that have circulated about Israel imposing a blockade around the Gaza Strip, where two million people live. He said that most of the people who live there do not support the Hamas terrorists, and such a move would be like WWII tactics by Nazis in Leningrad. He also said that he believes Palestine should be independent from Israel and that its capital city should be East Jerusalem. Russia has blamed the United States on multiple occasions for the conditions in the Middle East. The country maintains a strong relationship with Iran, which is said to have provided training and other types of financial assistance to Hamas.