The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Assesses the Tensions of the Palestine-Israel Conflict at the Peak

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. (Wikimedia Commons/US Department of State)

JAKARTA - Events taking place in the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and along the dividing line between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria have brought tensions in the region to a breaking point, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday.

This was conveyed by Foreign Minister Lavrov at a UN Security Council meeting, which discussed the situation in the Middle East region.

"The events in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, and along the dividing line between Israel, Lebanon, and Syria have escalated tensions to a very dangerous point," said Foreign Minister Lavrov, as reported by TASS, April 26.

"Since the beginning of the year, as a result of military attacks in Jenin, Jericho, Nablus, Huwara, clashes in connection with violations of the status of holy sites, more than one hundred Palestinians have been killed and thousands more injured. The number of victims among Israelis has also continued to increase," he continued.

He further explained that the situation in the region had been exacerbated by Israel's attacks on Syria, including the shooting at Aleppo airport, which was used to deliver humanitarian aid to victims of the major earthquake that occurred in February.

"The number of incidents on the Blue Line (Israel's demarcation line) with Lebanon, including the biggest exchange of missile strikes since 2006, has increased," Lavrov said.

Foreign Minister Lavrov added that the international community must not turn a blind eye to the radicalization in Palestine and the deepening divisions between the country's main parties, which have the potential to erupt into violent confrontation.

"It is impossible to ignore Israel's record pace of settlement construction, with the legalization of outposts, land grabs, demolition of homes and arbitrary arrests," he concluded.