Russia not to sever relations with Israel over Gaza conflict — expert

Oleg Barabanov explained that relations between Russia and Israel had developed constructively and positively until 2022, and after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine Israel took a rather reserved stance.

Russia will preserve relations with Israel despite the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Oleg Barabanov, the program director of the international Valdai Discussion Club believes. "Russia is in no mood to sever relations with Israel," he said during a Valdai Club discussion, devoted to the Asian view of the Middle East crisis.                                    He explained that relations between Russia and Israel had developed constructively and positively until 2022, and after the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine Israel, a country of the political West, took a rather reserved stance. "Russia, naturally, appreciates these relations," Barabanov added.                                                                    At the same time, he recalled Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remark that it was Russia's "sacrosanct duty" to provide humanitarian aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip, especially Russians trapped there. He also pointed to Moscow's activity in the UN Security Council, in favor of truce between the two sides. Nevertheless, according to the expert, against this background, "one should not expect that Russia will completely break with Israel."                                                                                                                    Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when militants from the radical Palestinian group Hamas staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip and took hostages. Hamas described its operation as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israel has declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and carried out air strikes on the Palestinian enclave, as well as some areas of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are on in the West Bank