Putin plays host, boasts of deep ties to Palestinians

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas visited Moscow Tuesday during a critical time of longstanding conflicts faced by each nation. Russian leader Vladamir Putin said it was two years since they last met face-to-face.

It’s been two and a half years since Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine—more recently, there’s been an Ukrainian incursion on Russian soil. Meanwhile, the U.S. and European leaders are calling for peace in Gaza 10 months after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel.

What did Putin say? Putin told Abbas that despite the ongoing war with Ukraine, Russians were closely watching events in the Middle East, according to a transcript from the Kremlin. He expressed solidarity with the Arab world in general and with Palestinians in particular, according to the state-run TASS Russian news agency. He blamed much of the current Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas on the failure of international organizations to recognize a Palestinian state. Russia reaffirmed its recognition of a Palestinian state in 2011. Palestine became a UN member earlier this year.

What did Abbas say? Abbas briefed Putin on the latest developments in Gaza and the West Bank. He accused the Israeli military of targeting civilians, destroying infrastructure and waging a war of starvation against the Palestinian people, according to the Palestinian state-run WAFA news agency. He called for an immediate cease-fire, Israel’s complete withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and an end to economic penalties against Palestinian funds, WAFA reported. He also reiterated the need of other countries to recognize a Palestinian state. Abbas said that he would no longer tolerate what he characterized as the displacement of Palestinian people, according to Russian pool video obtained by the Associated Press. Palestinians hold that they were displaced during Israel’s founding in 1948 and at the conclusion of the Six Day War in 1967.

What does Israel say? The Israel Defense Forces maintains that it does everything possible to limit civilian casualties in its ongoing war against the terrorist group Hamas. These efforts include phone calls and text messages warning civilians to leave buildings designated for attack. The IDF says it also airdrops leaflets and conducts what it calls roof knocking—dropping loud, but non-lethal, bombs on buildings to warn civilians of danger. Israel says Hamas operatives exploit such efforts by encouraging Palestinian civilians to ignore them.

Dig deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report on Hamas’ decision to name an architect of the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks as its new leader.